Maputo Elephant Reserve

Maputo Elephant Reserve

Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and is surrounded by bushveld, pristine shores, white sandy beachesand the Indian Ocean waters.This is were The Maputo Elephant Reserve can be found it is ideally located 79 kilometers South of Maputo in the southernmost province of Mozambique. It forms part of the Lubombo Transfontier Conservation Area, an international conservation project joining areas of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland. The Maputo Elephant Reserve should be visited by travelers with 4x4 vehicles. The Maputo Elephant Reserve is one of Mozambique's most important natural assets, it has unique plant and animal life and it's proximity to the capital gives the area potential to generate substantial tourism revenue.

The Reserves northern boundary cuts across the Machangula peninsula and follows the coastline down the Mozambique Channel. The western boundary is drawn along the western shore of the Rio Futi at a distance of 50 to 100 metres from the river. The Southern boundary exact location is not clearly delineated. The reserve covers approximately 90 kilometers squared and rises from sea level to approximately 150 meters near the western border. The reserve receives 400 to 800 milimeteres of rainfall per annum, water is available to the animals from the Rio Futi and Rio Maputo as well as wet season pans scattered around the northwest of the Reserve.

The park has 100 to 300 elephants that reside in the reserve and an unknown number of elephants in the forest area southof the reserve and in the Futi corridor, visitors to Maputo Elephant Reserve may expect to drive on trails through the lush bushes made up of marshes, rolling grasslands and forest as well as traveling along the two rivers in the Maputo Elephant Reserve. There is a variety of fish life and for the bird lovers there are many bird species that can be viewed, there are also Zebra, Antelope, duiker, kudu, baboons and bushpigs which roam the plains and flamingos, crocodiles and hippopotamus that can be found near the watering holes and lakes.

The most interesting feature of the reserve is it's Elephant population, where travelers can come close to view these magnificent mammals which is very thrilling.