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Stretching along the eastern coastline of Africa, immediately below Tanzania, is a place, that over time has been lost and to large degree forgotten, a place that holds more mystique, history, and allure than much of what is left on the African continent. Niassa, one of the most Northern provinces of Mozambique, a country named after the Arab Sheihk, Mussa Bin Bique, who ruled at the time of the Portuguese arrival in 1498.
Within the province of Niassa, is the Niassa Special Reserve, an area that holds a deep and rich history, stone tools of over 100 000 years old found in caves, paintings of the Khoisani people dating back to between the 1st and 5th centuries, Arab slavers that planted lemon tree groves in water courses for the supplement of vitamin C to slaves captured, German dominance, albeit temporarily over the Portuguese.
The Battle
The battle of Negomano being one such instance. The famed General Paul Von Lettow- Vorbeck crossed the Ruvuma River and then marched south along the Lugenda River to Metarica, a battalion, there dispatched to Mecula Mountain, where a battle with the Portuguese ensued and resulted in a heavy defeat for the Portuguese. Today we have a camp at Metarica and one can see the Mecula Mountain from our Lugenda camp. You could be forgiven for thinking that the General might be on his way back to his battleship, SMS Konigsberg, moored in the Rufiji Delta in Tanzania, where it lies today, sunk by the British during WW1, so remote and so wild a place is L7, a conservation area within the Niassa Special Reserve.
The History
The history of L7 a 1000 000 acre concession with over 275km of Lugenda River frontage, stems back 20 years, the pioneering spirit of a certain professional hunter, Derek Littleton and the passion and dedication of Sheikh Adel Ajuan whom was the original concessionaire of the block. The huge amount of passion, time he spent in Niassa and the financial contribution that was made by this gentleman, is the sole reason as to why L7, today, is without a doubt one of the most game rich, spectacularly beautiful areas in Africa. Sadly, he was taken from his passion way too early, his son Abdulla picked up the reins and with the same dedication and passion, now plays a vital role in ensuring that his father’s efforts will realise into the sustainable, long term conservation project that will benefit both the wildlife and the people who live in this remote corner of Africa.
Today
Today L7 in not simply a hunting concession, it is a conservation area in every sense of the word. Limited aged-based hunting and low off take quotas, niche photographic opportunities, birding (The Angolan Pita and Tiata Falcon, two extremely sought after sightings) scientific
predator monitoring and research, donor funded community development, global partnerships, are all the building blocks in the wall of conservation success here in L7 Niassa Special Reserve.
In partnership with the following:
