Gorongosa National Park

April 28, 2007 | Pulitzer Center

Hippo House, on the shores of Lake Urema in the center of the park, was once a popular viewing and dining spot. It was destroyed in the war.

The Pungue River creates the southern border of Gorongosa National Park.

Sunset at the park.

Lake Urema with Gorongosa Mountain in the far distance. Lake Urema is in the center of the park.

Gorongosa National Park from the air.

Greg Carr in the limestone gorges area of the park, one of Gorongosa's many unique ecosystems. Carr has pledged almost $40 million over 30 years to help restore the park.

In the remote northeast of Gorongosa National Park, Limestone gorges frame afro-montane rain forest. Here, helicopter pilot Tosh Ross joins a Carr Foundation expedition in the area.

Morning mist over the park.

Sunrise over Gorongosa National Park.

Gorongosa National Park was once among the top destinations in Africa, with a greater animal concentration than on the Serengeti Plain. But during Mozambique's long civil war, soldiers and other poachers killed the animals, planted landmines and destroyed the infrastructure. For years, this beautiful landscape was all but abandoned.