Restoring Pian Upe's ecological integrity means repairing the grasslands, woodlands, and wetlands that define this landscape, rebuilding the balance the system has lost.
The challenge is specific: years of altered fire regimes and unmanaged grazing have shifted grassland composition in parts of the reserve toward grass species that are fire-resistant but not palatable to wildlife. Vegetation grows tall and abundant, but without sufficient herbivores to cycle it back into the ecosystem, the system remains ecologically imbalanced. Restoration means rebuilding that balance over time through evidence-led management.
Tall grass is not the same as healthy grass.
The imbalance, and the plan to correct it, in one page.
The 2025 aerial census recorded growing populations across key species. Populations tracked through annual aerial surveys, camera traps, ranger monitoring, and individual identification databases for key species.
The landscape under restoration
