lions in Mozambique

How the world’s largest lion relocation was pulled off

To bring lions back to central Mozambique, logistics ranged from providing safe transport to blessings from the spirit world.

After years of civil war in Mozambique, lions were all but lost in the Zambezi Delta region. The introduction of 24 lions from South Africa in 2018 could grow the population to as many as 500 within 15 years. Already, six cubs have been born since the lions’ release.

Photograph by Ami Vitale, National Geographic
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