According to a statement from the Municipal Administration of Tômbwa (Namibe province) – where the park is located – the release of the animals took place in the town of Vale do Muende, in the commune of Iona, after "a land journey from Namibia to Tômbwa (Iona)".
The act was witnessed by Archer Mangueira, provincial governor of Namibe, who at the time referred that this is "an important achievement and a continuous step in the repopulation of the Iona National Park".
Quoted in the statement, which VerAngola had access to, the governor said it was "exciting to see the return of giraffes" to the country. "We witnessed an important moment with the reintroduction of fourteen giraffes. We have the largest park in Angola with a rich biodiversity and we need to continue repopulating. It was exciting to see the return of giraffes to Angola, since Angolan giraffes are a world reference. I congratulate the management of the park and our partners for complying with the agreements established with the Angolan Government", said Archer Mangueira.
The governor concluded by saying: "I brought my delegation and the traditional authorities, who are part of this integration process. We recognize that there is still much to be done in terms of awareness and accommodation of the communities, but we are working together with African Park, doing all we can to treat communities in the best way possible".
Albertina Nzuzi, representative of the Ministry of the Environment, said that there is an entry and exit protocol between both countries, since "giraffes are species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)", to which the country joined.
"There was an entry and exit protocol between Angola and Namibia, as giraffes are species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which Angola adhered to. It is important to mention that Angola already had giraffes in the decades of 80, but they became extinct and some migrated", he said.
In turn, Sango de Sá, administrator of Parque do Iona, provided clarification on the process of monitoring the said giraffes. "This activity was properly planned. We started with a recruitment program for young people who acted as community observers. Those who showed the greatest dedication were selected and trained. We started with 40 candidates and approved 21, who were trained as wildlife observers. In addition, we will have communication with our control room through GPS collars, which will provide precise information on the location of giraffes within the park, enabling a more specific monitoring of their development", he indicated, quoted in the note.
"With the reintroduction of these 14 giraffes, Iona National Park becomes the park with the highest number of giraffes in Angola, followed by Quiçama National Park, which has two giraffes", reads the note.
Members of the provincial government, the Ministry of the Environment, the Communal Administration of Iona, as well as managers of Africa Park and the National Park of Iona, as well as traditional authorities, were present at the animals' release ceremony.
