Museum of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History located in the Mozambican capital Maputo. The museum has borne its present name since Mozambique gained independence from the colonial power of Portugal in 1975. It is the only museum of its kind in the country. The museum was established on June 6, 1913, as the Museu Provincial. In 1932 the museum moved to a building originally intended for a primary school on what was then Praça das Descobertas, and today known as Praça Travessia do Zambeze.

Despite the independence of Mozambique, the museum remained true to its subject and continued to serve as a natural history museum for the independent country. The main aim of the museum is to explain the natural history and ethnographic past of Mozambique. The country's wildlife, in particular, is depicted with numerous animal preparations. A special feature is the collection of elephant fetuses in various stages of development, from the first to the 22nd month of birth