Maputo - Mozambique's Gorongosa Bational Park, which has been redeveloped for tourism after being ravaged by the country's civil war, reopened recently to visitors after a seven-month hiatus.

The park in the central Sofala province was closed last October after floods destroyed key tourist infrastructure, including access roads and camp sites.

The facilities were rebuilt with funding from US billionaire Steve Carr, whose Carr Foundation has invested 31 million euros (49 billion dollars) to restore Gorongosa to its former glory by restocking it with animals and developing eco-tourism.

Mateus Muthemba, human resources manager at Gorongosa, told Radio Mozambique he expected 3,000 tourists to visit the park in 2008, up from 2,400 in 2007.

Before Mozambique's 1976-1992 civil war, Gorongosa was one of southern Africa's premier tourist destinations but the park became a battleground during the war and most of its animals were picked off by poachers.

Covering an area of 3,770 square kilometres, the park is now home to a huge diversity of animals, including elephants, lions and hundreds of bird species. (dpa)