Maputo Special Reserve (in Portuguese it's called the Reserva Especial de Maputo), formerly known as the Maputo Elephant Reserve is only 70km away from Maputo and a perfect day trip from this bustling city to this reborn reserve. The Maputo Special Reserve does not have the same animal concentration as nearby Kruger Park but it does have a flourishing animal population that has grown quickly over the last decade with elephants and other fauna such as hippopatumus, crocodiles, giraffes, monkeys, various species of small buck, and extensive birdlife.