February 2, 2021

MOZAMBIQUE

Running Time: 70 minutes

Introduced by:

• His Excellency Carlos dos Santos,
  Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Mozambique to the U.S.A.

• Brett Kuxhausen,
  Producer & Cinematographer

  Gorongosa National Park sits in the center of Mozambique, about 100 miles
  west of the Indian Ocean coast. Established in 1960, the 1,500-square-mile park includes a wide diversity of geographical features and some of the densest wildlife populations in Africa. The park’s flora and fauna were severely diminished during the 1981–1994 civil war but eventually rebounded over the next 20 years due to extensive restoration efforts by the government and international organizations.

The Park was damaged again in March 2019 by Cyclone Idai, one of the worst tropical storms ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Fortunately, the wildlife was not significantly impacted and today the park continues to develop its ecotourism while working with local communities to abolish poaching and illegal logging. In short, conservation of the park is now the primary goal of the Mozambican government.

Empowered with leading the conservation effort, the Gorongosa Rangers provide the “front line” of protection for this beautiful wilderness. Fighting against ivory and bush meat hunters, illegal teak loggers, wildfires, and concerned members
of buffer zone communities, the Rangers struggle to maintain the park’s integrity and demonstrate its immense value for the country. A team of only 150 Rangers could not effectively patrol the park’s nearly one million acres, so a call went out for reinforcements.

Seven-hundred candidates from the surrounding communities registered to par- ticipate in the intensive physical and mental examinations required to become a Gorongosa Ranger. For the first time in the park’s history, women were encouraged to sign up for the opportunity, but they weren’t shown preferential treatment. We meet some of the women, including Rosa Costomo and Micaela Alexandre, as they endured 14 days of a grueling selection process (reducing the 700 candidates to 40) and 45 days of ranger training.

On the Front Line follows the candidates as they devote themselves to the heroic work of preserving the environment. The film offers an inspiring story of what people will endure to reach their dream of proudly wearing a Ranger’s uniform. The film also provides a glimpse into the sublime natural wonders of the Gorongosa National Park.

To view a photo essay on Gorongosa National Park by Brett Kuxhausen, go to: https://africageographic.com/stories/gorongosa-in-images/#agtravel-3

You can watch a trailer for On the Frontline at:

 https://video.search.yahoo.com/