from Ian Micler, Africa Geographic Magazine

Last Year I had the pleasure to meet Ian Michler when he arrived to Luwire Safaris fresh from a visit to the states where he had been on holiday and had experienced several delays and missed flights on his way to to us to lead a Birding Safari via African Geographic there, in and around the Niassa Reserve. Consversation soon began to trickle and flow and we found we had mutual music admiration for "The Drive by Truckers". We had a great time, Ian and his clients were a pleasure.
Thanks to Ian for sending me this article and allowing it's use here.

Last month I wrote about Liuwa Plain National Park in western Zambia, primarily because I was impressed by the effective work that African Parks is doing to regenerate the greater region and protect its biodiversity. But Liuwa stayed with me for another reason: it has a true sense of wilderness that seeps across those boundless plains and brings with it the wonderfull aura of solitude that comes from being in such isolated places. Although experiences such as this are becoming less accessible, they can still be found and Mozambique’s Niassa National Reserve is another excellent example. Situated in the far north on the border with Tanzania, it is the country’s largest yet least visited protected area, a substantial tract of wild land that is extremely remote, even in today’s world of convenient transport. Niassa covers 42 000 square kilometres, making it one of Africa’s largest conservation areas. It is also one of the most significant, lying as it does at the core of the Eastern Miombo Eco-region, and is central to plans for a transfrontier conservation area that will link it with the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, Lake Malawi and Mozambique’s northern coastal regions. This will constitute one of the largest conservation areas in the world. My first visit to Niassa was in March 1997. The arduous drive to Mecula in the middle of the reserve remains unforgettable, it took just over three days to cover 400 kilometres – but I was struck even more by the unique landscapes and the immense sense of space. The place has a rugged beauty dominated by outcrops of giant granite inselbergs that reach into the sky, and with numerous river systems defining the reserve’s layout, it is unlike any other region in southern or East Africa. On a recent return visit, the magnificent visual appeal and sense of space struck me just as much. But on this occasion I was able to spend a fair amount of time on the ground instead of being confined to the back seat of a small tail-dragger plane. This brought a very different perspective and got me thinking about the reserve’s future. It carries the largest populations of almost all mammal species found in Mozambique, including significant regional ones of wilddog, lion, sable and elephant. The bird list runs to more than 350 species and the plant diversity is such that the slopes of Mount Mecula have been designated a botanical hotspot. But aside from a large-predator project being conducted by Keith and Colleen Begg, no in-depth research has been carried out in Niassa and, given the number of different ecosystems, it is highly likely that many more plants and smaller creatures have yet to be found and named. It is a matter for concern that Niassa enjoys so little protection. Although it was established back in 1954, a series of civil wars resulted in the region and its biodiversity being neglected for more than 30 years. It is only since 2003, when the Mozambican government struck an agreement with Fauna & Flora International ( FFI ), that its status has begun to improve. But FFI ’s mandate is more about funding crucial research (such as the Beggs’ present work on carnivores) and promoting conservation and sustainability programmes among the 30 000 people living on the reserve’s borders than it is about policing. And policing is what is needed. Despite its wealth of biodiversity and strategic location for transfrontier conservation initiatives, Niassa faces many threats, the foremost among them being human–animal conflict and the subsequent killing of wildlife. Others include poaching for meat on a commercial scale, syndicates of ivory poachers and, in many regions, unsustainable subsistence fishing, harvesting and hunting practices. Given the nature of these challenges as well as the substantial size of the reserve and its conservation significance for the region, the government’s presence on the ground is ineffective and in no position to secure the sanctuary’s future. In the meantime, the development of a low-impact ecotourism industry can play a crucial stabilising role. Because of the reserve’s remoteness, this will take time to develop, but the government, NGO s and private operators should be encouraged to become involved at every opportunity. Two photographic lodges are currently open for business and they need support. For those in search of an awesome destination off the beaten track, I can highly recommend Niassa.

To join a trip to Niassa later this year, contact Africa Geographic Travelon tel. +27 (0)21 762 2180 or go to www.africageographictrave.coml
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