Niassa is one of the largest protected areas in all of Africa. Because it is so remote and hard to reach, it has stayed wild for a very long time. The landscape changes as you travel through it – open savanna, thick miombo woodland, rocky hills, and rivers lined with fig trees all sit side by side.
African elephants are the stars of Niassa. Huge family groups – led by the oldest female, called a matriarch – move slowly across the reserve, finding water holes and munching on bark and leaves. Elephants have incredibly good memories and can remember water sources they visited years earlier.
African wild dogs also live here. They look like painted wolves and hunt in tight-knit packs, communicating with high-pitched calls and tail wagging. Wild dogs are one of the most endangered large predators in Africa, so having a safe place like Niassa to live is very important for them.
Local communities live around the edges of the reserve and have done so for generations. Many work with conservationists – people who protect wildlife – to keep the reserve healthy. When local people benefit from the wildlife, they have more reason to look after it.