After a long civil war that decimated Gorongosa’s wildlife, the Mozambique government and the U.S.-based Carr Foundation have worked for two decades to restore the park’s wildlife to nearly pre-war levels. But the gains are precarious, and depend on repairing Mt. Gorongosa’s rainforest, a sponge-like water catchment that soaks up rainwater during the rainy season and releases it into the park and nearby communities during the dry months.