Once upon a time, the GorongosaNational Park in Mozambique was ahealthy green forest filled withwildlife, and enjoyed the distinctionof being the country's most biologically-diverse park. But 17 yearsof intense civil war has changedall that. During the war, Renamo- the National Resistance ofMozambique, backed by the US andSouth Africa - made Gorongosatheir headquarters. Governmentand resistance soldiers not onlyburned vegetation and razed parkbuildings to the ground as theyfought but also ate much of thepark's wildlife. White rhinos, onceabundant, became extinct locally.Renamo soldiers poached elephantivory and rhino horn to trade ' forguns. Renamo also cleared parkland to grow food for their troopsand train their soldiers. Today,Gorongosa's once-rich wildlife hasbeen replaced by starving humansmarooned amidst war debris ona scorched piece of land ladenwith land mines. However, parkmanagers are working with park'snew human inhabitants, fighting offpoachers and slowly re-introducingwildlife to restore the park to itsformer glory (Earth News, Vol 12,No 122).