MALAWI: African Parks Reintroduces Lions In Liwonde National Park

Four years after the last lion was seen in Liwonde, African Parks have reintroduced the first of several wild lions back into the National Park.

In partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), and with support from the Dutch Government and the Lion Recovery Fund, two mature males were released into enclosed bomas in the park after being safely translocated from Majete Wildlife Reserve, where lions were reintroduced in 2012.

They will remain in bomas for several weeks to allow close monitoring of their wellbeing, adjustment, and bonding with two lionesses which will be translocated from South Africa in March, before they are all released in to the wider park.

While the translocation hails the return of this iconic predator to Liwonde, it is also symbolic of Majete’s extraordinary restoration.

Majete’s pride was entirely poached out decades ago, but since their reintroduction, the population has grown to the extent that it can assist in repopulating Liwonde, 200 km north-east of Majete.

African Parks will further supplement the populations in both parks over the coming months, with the translocation of up to 12 additional lions from South Africa.

This is an important milestone for lion conservation in Malawi, where populations of the vulnerable species are being revitalised as part of an effort to restore the country’s parks, rehabilitate wildlife populations and encourage tourism for the benefit of local communities.

The reintroduction of lions is fundamentally enriching for Liwonde said African Parks’ Liwonde Park Manager, Craig Reid.

It restores a key species that is critical to the healthy functioning of the natural system, contributes to the establishment of an important local predator population, and will significantly benefit tourism as a mechanism for socio-economic growth.

The arrival of these big cats lays the foundation for a secure national population of lions, helping to further distinguish Malawi as an emerging premier wildlife destination.

With the UN World Wildlife Day on Saturday 3rd March highlighting the plight of big cats across the world, Malawi’s lion translocation is an extraordinary example of the conservation measures being taken to secure a future for Africa's most iconic cat.

Just over a century ago, more than 200,000 wild lions were living throughout Africa, but in just two decades, Africa’s lion population has decreased by 42%.

Today, wild lions are extinct in 26 African countries, and there are only about 20,000 lions left in wilderness areas, prompting the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to classify lions as Vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species.

Threatened by habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and loss of prey, their numbers are steadily decreasing, and unless urgent actions are taken to ensure their survival, it is likely that lions will become an endangered species.

African Parks assumed management of Liwonde in partnership with the DNPW in 2015, and since then has completely overhauled law enforcement to secure the park.

They have constructed a robust perimeter fence enclosing the entire park, established rigorous ranger patrols, and worked extensively with local communities, making significant progress in revitalising habitat and wildlife populations through the reduction of poaching and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict.

The lions have each been fitted with tracking collars to facilitate intensive daily monitoring.

For a long time Malawi’s stunning beaches, beautiful and varied landscapes and fascinating and friendly cultural experiences have been some of the best that Africa has to offer.

With the wildlife transformations currently underway courtesy of African Parks, Malawi’s safari experiences are now starting to match its other attractions as it emerges as one of the most complete destinations in Africa.



Tourism Observer

MALAWI: Malawi Tourism And Malawi Style

Malawian Style, a tour operator based in Malawi, have had an extremely busy couple of months with lots of updates to share. Find out more on what the team have been up to below.

Fresh & functional Malawian Style website

Malawian Style recently redesigned their website to make it easier for visitors to discover the wonders of Malawi and learn about the incredible destinations Malawian Style specialise in.

Visitors can also browse their wide range of tours to find their dream trip or gain inspiration to tailor make their own Malawi adventure. What’s more the website provides fantastic information on everything you need to know before visiting Malawi.

Hailing from South Africa and Bostwana, Duncan & Jen have taken over the reins of managing The Funky Cichlid from the legendary Rikki - who has moved back to the UK.

The guys have been at Funky for about 5 weeks now and are settling into Malawi life very well. Some of you may have met them already, if not be sure to give them a big welcome next time you visit Cape Maclear.

Chloe from Farside Africa will soon be joining Malawian Style in a marketing & PR role.

“We are very excited to welcome Chloe to Malawi. She has over 4 years of specialised industry experience and with that comes new energy & ideas to the company”

Malawian Style are very excited to launch their latest itinerary combining South Luangwa, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. As with all their itineraries, there are three price options to suit all budgets. If you want to amend the tour in any way it is fully customisable, you can even add Malawi as an extension.

Meanwhile, In many countries, streets and roads are populated with houses side by side that make it easy for standard addressing systems to work. In Malawi, and many African nations for that matter, it’s not quite as simple as that. Many of the lodges in Malawi are in unique and serene locations, with some being deep within the wilderness – so a traditional addressing system doesn’t always work.

A fantastic new initiative has been created by a company called What3Words (W3W). Using clever technology, W3W have mapped the whole world with an algorithm that gives every 3m square on the earth with it’s own unique 3 word address. Each three-word combination then links through to a pinpoint map which can be viewed online or via their app.

To assist travellers with their planning, we have implemented the What3Words system into the Malawi Tourism website for every lodge listing. At the bottom of each Lodge page is now a W3W info bar with their unique three words. This links to a map that you can use to find out exactly where they are located, And all you need to remember is three words!

Partnerships Manager for What3Words Will Johnston said, “We're glad that Malawi Tourism has decided to include 3 word addresses in their accommodation listings. With a 3 word address, each and every accommodation provider can now communicate their location easily and accurately to visitors who might otherwise have had difficulty finding their way in an unfamiliar place."

What3Words has become an instant hit with international media and is proving useful at contacting people in the most remote locations, emergency situations and satellite navigation. It is rapidly being adopted by more and more organisations and platforms as a more convenient way of finding places around the world.

We are pleased to provide this add-on to the Malawi Tourism website to assist travellers with their journey to and around Malawi.

Malawi is currently home to one of the most exciting and wide reaching wildlife conservation projects ever seen in Africa. The African Parks organisation now manages 3 of Malawi's parks & reserves and has undertaken a massive program of re-stocking and wildlife protection across all three. Majete Reserve has already been the recipient of more than 2500 animals at a cost of US$2.5Million and has grown into a Big 5 reserve now with over 10,000 animals. The two other reserves have only been taken over more recently but Nkhotakota is already half way through the biggest elephant translocation in human history, with 250 received in 2016 and another 250 due in 2017 (plus many hundreds more head of game). Liwonde is in the process of receiving a group of cheetah and a relocation of lions is also planned.

To allow visitors to witness this amazing country-wide conversation initiative in action, and see the thriving and growing big game populations, Robin Pope Safaris have created an amazing 'Conservation Malawi' itinerary. This 10-day package takes you on a journey through all three parks, giving an unforgettable safari experience of an African conservation success story and a country's wildlife transformed.

The tour begins with a transfer from Blantyre International Airport to Mkulumadzi, a 2-and-a-half-hour drive through colourful local scenes of villages, agriculture and the Malawian bush where you will reach the camp. Located on the Mkulumadzi River within Majete Wildlife Reserve, you will be staying in stunning accommodation – the Mkulumadzi Lodge.

Once you have rested, you will be ready for the next two days with your choice of game drives, boating safaris, bush walks, hiking, black rhino tracking, cultural tours, birding trips on the Shire river and a game-viewing from a hide, all within Malawi’s Big 5 reserve.

The next three nights will see you stay at Mvuu Lodge, hosted in luxury stone and thatch safari tents overlooking a tranquil lagoon located just off the Shire River. Mvuu Lodge is a 4-hour journey from Mkulumadzi towards the serene Liwonde National Park, considered to be one of the top birding locations in Southern Africa.

With beautiful riverine surroundings, this will present you with some of the most scenic game viewing experiences.

Upon leaving Mvuu Lodge and Liwonde National Park, the 5-hour scenic drive encountering stunning landscapes and culture along the way will lead you to the Nkhotakota Reserve where you will be staying at the Tongole Wilderness Lodge located on the banks of the lovely Bua River.

You have three full days here (4 nights) to fully explore the Nkhotakota Reserve and an opportunity to learn more about the recent elephant translocation by African Parks. Once your Malawi experience draws to a close, you will be transferred back to Lilongwe for your onward journey.

The package is available from June through until December 2017 and all accommodation, activities (except motorized water sports which are optional) are included. Local drinks are also included at all lodges except Mvuu. Visa fees and international flights are excluded.

This experience will give you an insight into all the fantastic work African Parks have produced at returning Malawi to a thriving location of game-viewing and wildlife encounters.

MALAWI: Good News Is The Absence Of Bad News, Majete Wildlife Reserve Restored

Majete is a 700km2 Wildlife Reserve nestled in the south-western part of Malawi with an unlikely story of resurgence and restoration. Just 13 years ago, this reserve was practically an empty forest devoid of most wildlife apart from a few remaining antelope.

Rhinos had been poached out of Majete in the 1970’s (the last wild black rhino in all of Malawi was killed in Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve in 1992); a population of 300 elephants had also been poached out with the last individual killed in 1992; the predators and most of their prey species were gone; and even the trees were being illegally cut and charcoal production was well underway.

The reserve, given its condition, had almost no tourists in the three years prior to 2003, and therefore hardly a single tourist dollar made it to Majete in that time. Only 12 scouts were employed to patrol the park, but by then there wasn’t much left to protect.

But Majete’s story didn’t end there.

In 2003, African Parks entered into a 25-year agreement with the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) to manage Majete and to realize a shared vision of restoring the reserve and to having wildlife flourish once again.

We immediately began by overhauling law enforcement to prepare for the needed reintroductions of key species. Black rhinos were brought back in 2003; elephants followed in 2006; lions in 2012, as well as a host of other wildlife making this budding reserve Malawi’s only Big Five destination with now more than 12,200 animals thriving within its perimeter.

This year alone we’ve seen almost 7,000 tourists who are the major contributor to the nearly $400,000 in gross revenue the reserve now generates; all of which goes back into the management and conservation of the reserve which includes supporting local community projects as well.

Eighty-five surrounding villages and tens of thousands of local people are being positively impacted by this parks resurgence. In 2014 a state-of-the-art malaria research and prevention centre was constructed in Majete with the goal of reducing malaria by 80% in surrounding communities by 2018.

Other community projects include bee-keeping with the production and sale of honey, locally produced crafts, and providing cultural tours. A scholarship programme has been set up to provide school fees for local children who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to attend school.

Employment has risen more than ten-fold with now 140 people being employed on a full-time basis, including our growing ranger force who patrol the park daily and whose efforts have resulted in not one rhino or elephant being lost to poachers since 2003.

Majete’s trajectory tells a story of possibility, and serves as a beacon of hope for how a park can be revived, brought back from the brink, and thrive once again.

In conservation, good news is often just the absence of bad news.

MALAWI: Prince Harry Takes Part In Historic ‘500 Elephants’ Conservation Initiative

Prince Harry spent almost three weeks on the ground in Malawi with African Parks, a conservation NGO that manages protected areas and national parks on behalf of governments, where he served as part of the expert team and helped implement the first phase of ‘500 elephants’.

This initiative is one of the largest and most significant elephant translocations in conservation history where up to 500 elephants are being moved over 350 kilometres across Malawi from Liwonde National Mark and Majete Wildlife Reserve to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, where the elephants will be able to thrive. All three parks are managed by African Parks in partnership with the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).

The ‘500 Elephants’ initiative, led by African Parks, will play a critical rote in helping to secure a long-term future for Malawi’s elephants. Prince Harry assisted with the first phase of the translocation during which 261 elephants were successfully re-homed in Nkhotakota. The remaining 239 elephants will be moved during the second phase which will occur in the summer of 2017.

“We are thrilled to have Prince Harry serve as an integral part of our translocation team” said Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks. “He has extensive field experience and was extremely comfortable with the animals, whether helping an anesthetised elephant to the ground and monitoring its breathing to affixing radio collars. He played a vital role in many aspects of this giant operation which requires not only all hands on deck, but a vigilance he exudes, and a commitment to the cause he embodies”.

Along with moving elephants, Prince Harry assisted with translocating a male rhino, a host of game species including antelope, buffalo, and zebra (more than 1,500 head of game were also translocated to Nkhotakota to help restore the park), and he facilitated in re-collaring three lions in Majete with GPS collars to monitor and better protect them.

“There has to be a balance between the numbers of animals, and the available habitat. Just how nature intended it” said Prince Harry. “In this case, African Parks, in partnership with the Malawian government, have re-established a safe area for elephants to be moved back to. This simultaneously relieves the pressure in Liwonde, and restocks Nkhotakota so both populations of elephants can continue to grow”.

500 Elephants has two objectives: to relieve human-wildlife conflict and pressure on natural habitats from the high density of elephants in Liwonde and Majete, and to restore Nkhotakota making it a premiere elephant sanctuary for Malawi. As recently as 20 years ago, Nkhotakota supported more than 1,500 elephants but due to rampant poaching had as few as 100 elephants before the start of the translocation this year. Since African Parks’ management, law enforcement has been completely overhauled to secure the park and prepare for the arrival of the translocated elephants and game species.

Majete has been managed by African Parks since 2003 and is a conservation success story in that prior to assuming management, most of the wildlife had been hunted out. Today, after African Parks reintroduced elephants, rhino, lions, leopard, buffalo and a host of other species, the park has rebounded making it Malawi’s only Big Five reserve now home to a population of more than 400 elephants; tourism has flourished and benefits are being derived by the local communities.

African Parks assumed management of Liwonde and Nkhotakota just in August of 2015 and immediately began fencing both parks (to reduce conflict in Liwonde, and prepare for the translocation in Nkhotakota) and have overhauled law enforcement in both places through ranger recruitment, training, active patrols and technology, making them more secure for wildlife. As Malawi is a densely-populated, agro-based country, ecological corridors no longer exist to allow for natural migration, however the “500 Elephants” initiative is a human-assisted migration providing the best chance of a long-term and sustainable future for these elephants.

Under mounting pressure from poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, the African elephant is being increasingly threatened in many parts of the continent. Numbering as many as 10,000,000 a century ago, recent census results indicate they have been reduced to fewer than 450,000. With between 30,000 to 40,000 elephants being poached every year to feed the insatiable demand for ivory, their long-term survival at risk.

“Good news in conservation is often just the absence of bad news” continued Peter Fearnhead. “What we’re seeing with ‘500 Elephants’ is a pivotal moment for Malawi who is emerging as a leader in African elephant conservation. We’re looking head on at the consequences of well-managed protected areas like Majete with increasing populations of elephants and other species, and how this creates opportunities for wildlife and communities. It’s a story of hope and survival, and serves as inspiration as to what is possible”.

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. With the largest counter-poaching force for any one NGO in Africa, more than 600 rangers on staff, and the most amount of area under protection for any one NGO in Africa, African Parks manages 10 national parks and protected areas in seven countries covering six million hectares: Malawi, Zambia, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Chad. Visit www.500elephants.org and www.african-parks.org to learn more.

MALAWI: Translocating 250 Elephants To New Home In Malawi

Prince Harry assists conservationists in translocating 250 elephants to their new home in Malawi.

The first round of the translocation process of a total of 500 elephants was completed last month, seeing just over 250 elephants rehomed into a sanctuary at Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in central Malawi.

The world’s media have been closely following Malawi’s elephants since the first elephant family was translocated from Liwonde National Park on 5th July 2016.

Prince Harry joined the operation in its final stages, which saw him supporting the African Parks team with the delicate process of darting and capturing the elephants to load them onto trucks for their 350km journey north.

Not just elephants were involved in this, one of Africa’s biggest ever animal translocations. Other games species totalling 1117 individuals were also moved including 404 waterbuck, 200 sable, 199 warthog, 122 impala, 100 kudu and 92 buffalo.

The operation ensured the safeguarding of not only the elephants, but also the livelihood of local agricultural communities. Surplus populations of elephant were resulting in habitat degradation and human wildlife conflict. Their new home is a vast wildlife sanctuary that was once home to over 1500 elephants, but due to poaching only 100 remained.

Peter Fearnhead, CEO for African Parks said, “The reason we are moving these elephants is to prevent further habitat degradation and mitigate conflict in Liwonde and Majete, as well as to restock Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. To do this, we have to be sure of their long-term security, which is why we have already overhauled law enforcement and anti-poaching measures in the elephants new home.”

Kelly White from Malawi Tourism said “The future for Nkhotakota looks bright, the next 12 months will see a repopulated park both with elephants and over a thousand individuals of other game species providing a premier elephant sanctuary for Malawi and a tourism hotspot for the country in the coming years. With Malawi’s three premier parks now benefitting from the proactive management of African Parks Malawi will soon have a high quality safari experience on offer to match its existing lake, landscape and cultural highlights making it perhaps one of the most complete destinations in Africa”.

Phase two of the process to move an additional 250 elephants from Malawi’s Majete Wildlife Reserve will commence in July 2017, along with plans to secure populations of lions and cheetah to reintroduce into Liwonde National Park in early 2017.

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organisation that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in apartment with government and local communities. African Parks manages 10 national parks and protected areas in seven countries covering six million hectares: Malawi, Zambia, CAR, The Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Chad.

To learn more, please visit www.african-parks.org

MALAWI: National Geographic Goes Mad For Malawi

One of the top magazine brands in the world, National Geographic, has been recently going wild for all things Malawi. This includes featuring Malawi in a full length article and holiday prize competition in National Geographic Traveller magazine and having a 6 page spread in the current issue of National Geographic Kids magazine.

Reading the National Geographic traveller Magazine is a great way to help you plan the best time to go on your next jet-setting adventure and will inspire your choice of destination with amazing photography and passionate articles. With Malawi having much to offer i.e. Wildlife, Culture, Adventure and the third largest lake in Africa it’s no wonder that the magazine is now focussed on the country. The December issue contains an 8 page feature and a competition to win a holiday in Malawi. The compettion can be entered online: click here. The feature covers Malawi’s cities: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba; two of Malawi’s most popular parks Liwonde National Park, Majete Wildlife Reserve; and of course the scenic wonderland that is Lake Malawi.

Chris Leadbeater, who wrote the Malawi feature, was clearly very taken with the country:
"A tiny pocket of Southern Africa, with its very own Lake of Stars, Malawi is warm, welcoming, yet hard to pin down. With a ragged beauty, lantern-lit boats trawling its waters and wildlife-packed parks, this is Africa at its most endearing."

The article features some of Malawi’s top lodges in Mvuu Lodge, Pumulani and Mkulumadzi and the trip was put together by the high-quality UK tour operator, Expert Africa, with Chris’s flight provided by the ever reliable South African Airways.

The National Geographic Kids magazine has always been a great way to help children learn about different cultures and traditions. Plus they can also read about all the different animals from all over the world – and now Malawi’s animals are in the limelight. The October edition featured an interview with bat expert, Dr Emma Stone, who runs a bat conservation project in Malawi, African Bat Conservation. And the November edition covered the wonderful Satemwa Tea Plantations in the Thyolo area, and Malawi’s importance to the UK tea trade.

At a time when Malawi’s wildlife is hot news, the current December edition of the magazine contains a massive 6 page spread of Safari experiences in Liwonde National Park. It’s a brilliant showcase of Malawi’s biggest animals. Hippos, Elephants and Rhinos get the most attention in a feature that is a great read for kids and adults. It ends with an exciting rhino-tracking adventure lead by Hungarian rhino specialist Krisztián Gyöngyi and expert rhino tracker Christopher Kanyange at Liwonde National Park! You can read that article online here.

Organised by passionate travel experts, Mahlatini, and flying in with one of the leading africa airlines, Kenya Airways, it’s clear to see why the trip was such a success. Georgia Harrison, writer of the Nat Geo Kids articles, was full of gushing praise on her return from her 'incredible' trip to Malawi: “Wow – what an experience!… I had a blast … such an action-packed itinerary. So much to write about! Please accept my overflowing gratitude.”

And the magazine hasn’t had enough of Malawi yet – keep your eyes peeled in 2016 for a Lake Malawi feature!

Don't forget to enter the Malawi Holiday Competition (click here) and to pick up copies of the current editions of National Geographic Traveller and National Geographic Kids to read all about Malawi!