Described as a man of integrity, generous spirit, and 'a tireless defender of nature', veteran Mozambican conservationist Roberto Zolho has died in Maputo aged 65.

South African and international conservation groups have paid tribute to Roberto Zolho, a former park warden, planner, and biodiversity consultant who played a key role in restoring the forests and wildlife refuges of Mozambique following the devastation caused by decades of civil war.

Zolho, who died on 4 July, began his nature conservation career after completing a diploma in forestry management at the Chimoio Agrarian Institute in Mozambique in 1982.

Thereafter, he studied at the College of African Wildlife Management in Tanzania; the University of Queensland in Australia, and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where he was awarded his MSc. degree for his dissertation on the role of fire in regenerating Miombo woodlands.

Following a lengthy career in government and the private conservation sector, Zolho was awarded Mozambique's Medal of Merit for the Environment by then-President Filipe Nyusi in 2022.

Former South African wildlife ranger and ecology consultant Paul Dutton recalled that Zolho took over the management of the Gorongosa National Park shortly after the signing of a peace accord between Mozambique's ruling.