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A Heroine in the Hot Seat!
Dr Mércia Ângela raced from a meeting in Maputo, her home town, about rabies disease control to join us virtually for this Campfire Conversation, so we are very grateful that she carved out the time to talk to us. This Mozambican veterinarian is part of the superpower team that is rebuilding and expanding the biodiversity of “Africa’s Lost Eden” - Gorongosa National Park. A destination that is HIGH on the wish-list for many of our safari goers, and indeed ourselves.
We’re travelling to Gorongosa with guests in June this year, and after listening to this impassioned and emotional conversation with a vet working on the front line of conservation crises and wildlife crime, we are even more aware of the long journey it has been and continues to be to bring Gorongosa back from the beyond the brink.
Mércia works mostly with carnivores in the park, but her heart lies with the rare and unusual pangolin - 134 of which had been rescued from illegal trafficking at the time of our conversation, since 2018. She has travelled to participate in high profile conferences and summits about conservation, and she is a key player in Gorongosa’s veterinary leadership and data analyst team. The emotion she expressed when talking to us about what pangolins face was a testament to her heart belonging in her work.
Mércia tells us about field rangers who infiltrate the black market and remove live pangolins that have been poached from the wild and sold into the exotic animal trade. Once these animals (the lucky ones) are removed from the market, they are handed over to Mércia at the rehabilitation centre where she treats their physical wounds, illness, and trauma, while helping them recover in as natural an environment as possible before successfully releasing them back into protected wildlife areas.
Important work has been done to recover Gorongosa to the place it is once again in today, and the unwavering dedication of wildlife vets, ecologists, community leaders and conservationists of all varieties is the reason this fascinating and unique place on Earth is back on the map as a refuge for nature and a vital tourism destination in Mozambique.
Reports from Gorongosa National Park towards the end of 2024 when we chatted to Mércia celebrated the success stories to date, and now, leopard, hyena, and zebra numbers are up, adding to the growing populations already established in the park:
“In 2018, we reintroduced our first pack of Painted Wolves, a critically endangered carnivore species indigenous to the region, and as of 2021 the population is fast-approaching 100. Leopard reintroductions began in 2020, and hyaena are soon to follow.”
In our conversation with Mércia, she elaborates on the threats to the continued progress, including poaching, which is under control within the park, but in buffer-zone areas it is an ongoing challenge. Disease risk, such as rabies, is always on the horizon with surrounding communities and domestic animals, so is an important part of reserve management. From wildlife reintroductions, to snare removals and wound treatment, collaring and monitoring, research, collaboration with law enforcement and community leaders - all of this and more is part of the critical work of veterinarians like Mércia in Gorongosa.
We can’t wait to travel to Gorongosa in June and to create and deliver safari experiences for our guests to a destination of this kind. To have connected with Mércia and host her on our podcast is a true honour, and we do hope to find her and meet in person later this year.
Follow the incredible progress being made in Gorongosa on their website www.gorongosa.org and find Dr Mércia Angela on instagram.
Happy listening!
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