Moçâmedes — Fourteen giraffes, from Namibia, arrived this week in Angola, as part of the re-stocking programme of the species in the Yona National Park, located in the municipality of Tombwa, south-western Namibe Province.

According to the Tombwa administrator, Abelardo Lemba, there are five males and nine females, which over the next few days will undergo a process of adaptation to the climate of the location.

Speaking exclusively to ANGOP on Tuesday, he informed that conditions are being created for the mating of giraffes, without giving a date for the first practical results.

To him, at the time it is difficult to know the number of giraffes in the park, but the data points to a large reduction, given the poaching activity.

"We hope that they can adapt to our environment and reproduce", said the municipal administrator, adding that the park has been facing vandalisation from poachers, who have also caused a significant reduction of its fauna, including the giraffes.

The Yona Park, proclaimed as a reserve in 1937 and officially designated a national park in 1964, is the biggest in Angola and is located in the southwest of the country, in Namibe.

With a length of 15,000 kilometres, it has two mobile dunes, vast plains and rugged cliff mountains, and is home to various species such as oryx gazellas, ostriches, zebras and other reptiles.