The United States will donate more than $10 million for conservation projects in the Niassa Special ReserveThe US embassy in Maputo announced today, quoted by Lusa.

The amount will be made available over the next five years and will be managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), according to the note, sent to celebrate the World Forestry Enforcement Day, which falls on Sunday.

"This day celebrates their work as committed guardians of Mozambique's natural heritage and honors the memory of those who died in the line of duty protecting wildlife from poachers and conserving essential wild spaces," the note said.

Created in 1960, the Niassa Special Reserve, in the north of the country, is the largest protected area in the country, with an area of 42,400 square kilometers.

According to official data, in the last five years, the United States has already provided nearly $15 million to the managers of the Niassa Reserve, in addition to more than $50 million provided to the Gorongosa National Park (in the center of the country) to combat wildlife poaching and support the livelihoods of local communities.

Poaching in Mozambique has been a serious threat to wildlife in the country, having drastically reduced some species, according to official data.

According to the latest ANAC data, since 2009, the country has lost at least ten thousand elephants, and in the Niassa Reserve alone, the total number of this species went from 12,000 to 4,400 in three years (between 2011 and 2014).

More recent reports indicate that the country lost 48% of its elephant population between 2011 and 2016.