Dr Mércia Ângela raced from a meeting in Maputo about rabies disease control to join us virtually for this campfire conversation, so we are very grateful that she carved out the time to talk to us!

This Mozambican veterinarian is part of the superpower team that is rebuilding and expanding the biodiversity of “Africa’s Lost Eden” - Gorongosa National Park. A destination that is HIGH on the wishlist for many of our safari goers, and indeed ourselves. 

We’re travelling to Gorongosa with guests in June this year, and after listening to this impassioned and emotional conversation with a vet working on the front line of conservation crises and wildlife crime, we are even more aware of the long journey it has been and continues to be to bring Gorongosa back from the beyond the brink. 

Mércia works mostly with carnivores in the park, but her heart lies with the rare and unusual pangolin - 134 of which had been rescued from illegal trafficking at the time of our conversation. She has travelled to participate in high profile conferences and summits about conservation, and she is a key player in Gorongosa’s veterinary leadership team. The emotion she expressed when talking to us about what pangolins face was a testament to her heart belonging in her work.