Quicama National Park

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Quicama National Park is a national park in northwestern Angola. The park is approximately 70 Km from Luanda, the capital. The park covers three million acres, more than twice the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

[edit] Attributes of the park

The park is bordered on the west by 120 Km of the Atlantic Ocean's coast. It is also sometimes spelled Kissama. The Cuanza River forms the northern boundary, while the Longa River constitutes the southern border.

[edit] History

What is now Quicama National Park was formed as a game reserve in 1938. It was proclaimed a national park in January 1957. The park once was home to an abundance of large game animals such as elephants and Giant Sable, but after wide-scale poaching during 25 years of civil war, the animal population was virtually eliminated. In 2001, the Kissama Foundation, a group of Angolans and South Africans, initiated Operation Noah's Ark to transport animals, especially elephants, from neighboring Botswana and South Africa. These animals, who were from overpopulated parks in their home countries, adapted well to the move. Noah's Ark was the largest animal transplant of its kind in history and has given the park momentum to be restored to its natural state.