One park boasts fearsome lions and leopards, while the other boasts gentle sheep.

One features one of the highest hills in Hampshire – and the other volcanic craters.

But Queen Elizabeth Country Park, near Horndean, and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda have decided to work together to provide a better future for the flora and fauna of both parks, as well as the African park's surrounding residents.

The nature reserves are to officially sign an agreement that will twin the parks.

And rangers and volunteers at the Hampshire park are to hold a series of money-spinners to help the local community who live next to the African safari park.

Barn dances, wildlife quiz nights, and charity auctions have been arranged to raise money.

The money will pay for new school classrooms to teach the local Ugandan children about the importance of the animals in the park and how to protect them.

Steve Peach, park ranger at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, said: '£20 will buy a desk, £6,000 will buy a classroom block and it will make a huge difference to these Ugandan schoolchildren.'

One of the main aims of the twinning is to protect the animals in Africa from poaching.

Mr Peach said: 'There is a lot of poaching that happens through need rather than greed.

'If we can raise money to buy cattle and pigs to help these people set up small holdings then it will reduce the poaching.'

The decision to twin the parks has come about through an amazing stroke of luck.

Mr Peach met Queen Elizabeth National Park ranger Charles Etoru at an international ranging conference in South Africa.

'We were both putting up a display and suddenly realised our parks had the same name,' Mr Peach laughed.

Representatives of the Ugandan park have already been to visit the East Hampshire park and had a tour. They will return on November 14 to sign the twinning agreement.

Mr Peach said he was surprised to see how much the Ugandans knew about Portsmouth FC.

He is planning to donate a couple of Pompey shirts to the rangers.
'There are a few African players who play for Pompey,' he said. 'It's a universal game – even if your village doesn't have electricity.'