Pretty Liwonde – Malawi’s wildlife treasure

Liwonde Nationwide Park is one in every of Malawi’s most lovely. Positioned on the southern tip of Lake Malombe, simply south of Lake Malawi and close to the Mozambique border. Liwonde with its unimaginable wildlife reintroductions and translocations, is a haven for wildlife.

Liwonde is a narrative of a park again from the brink of destruction and now a Large-5 safari vacation spot and one in every of Malawi’s key protected areas. When tourism to Malawi was at an all-time low, the 548km² park fell into disrepair. Poaching and human-wildlife battle escalated. With extra wire snares than wildlife within the park, massive mammals and predators had vanished. Liwonde was a park in terminal decline.

Bolstered by the unimaginable success of close by Majete Wildlife Reserve, a forward-thinking partnership was shaped between Malawi’s Division of Nationwide Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and the non-profit organisation African Parks. In 2015 African Parks assumed administration accountability for Liwonde and launched into the painstaking course of of remodeling the park right into a viable ecosystem and a promising safari vacation spot. Equally necessary was the constructing of fine relationships between communities surrounding the park and the park itself – no protected space can flourish with out benefiting its human neighbours. Over the previous 9 years, Liwonde has been reinvented and revitalised.

After extremely efficient conservation regulation enforcement measures, utilising superior know-how to guard and monitor wildlife, and eradicating greater than 40,000 wire snares, it was time to deliver the animals again.

In 2017, African Parks started re-establishing Liwonde’s predator inhabitants by bringing again cheetah, which had been absent from the park for a century. This was adopted in 2018 by the reintroduction of lions. In 2021, after a 60-year absence, Liwonde acquired a pack of 8 endangered African Wild Canines. As luck would have it, one of many females was pregnant, and the pack welcomed 9 pups six weeks later – the primary litter of untamed canine born in Malawi in a long time! In 2019, 17 black rhinos have been relocated from South Africa to Liwonde, in one of many largest worldwide black rhino translocations in historical past. The now thriving Liwonde ecosystem additionally helps large herds of over a thousand buffalo, and the park can be among the best locations in Africa to see the endangered sable antelope. Wildlife translocations and reintroductions have reworked Liwonde into an actual sanctuary for Malawi’s wildlife.

Sadly, in November 2022, tragedy struck in Liwonde. The GPS collars on the grownup wild canine went silent and after in depth looking out, the monitoring crew discovered your complete pack of 18 useless. Poisoned. A tragedy. However in some current thrilling information, African Wild Canines are actually again in Liwonde! In February 2024 a brand new pack of untamed canine arrived in Liwonde from South Africa. After spending a number of weeks in a holding boma for acclimatisation, the canine have been launched into the bush and are actually roaming free within the park.

One bonus of accelerating the predator numbers in Liwonde was the return of aerial scavengers. When African Parks took over the park in 2015, vultures have been absent. At this time lots of of sightings, of not less than six vulture species, have been recorded. Vultures apart, birding in Liwonde is phenomenal all 12 months spherical, with over 460 species recorded, together with some birding specials like Lillian’s love birds, Pel’s fishing owls, Boehm’s bee-eaters, and Livingstone’s flycatchers.

When to go to Liwonde

The perfect time to go to Liwonde is through the dry season, from April to October. Because the park is dry, wildlife clusters across the remaining water of the river techniques. Nonetheless, the wet season affords its benefits. When the primary thunderstorms darken the November nights, the bushveld transforms from a veritable dustbowl to an emerald-green paradise.

5 causes to go to Liwonde

1. A few of the finest river-based elephant, crocodile, hippo and normal wildlife viewing in Africa.

2. Dwelling to the uncommon and critically endangered black rhino.

3. Fabulous cathedral-like woodlands with good populations of buffalo and sable antelope.

4. The wonderful views of palm-studded floodplains.

5. A chook watcher’s haven with simple viewing of Pel’s fishing owl, Boehm’s bee-eaters, Lilian’s lovebirds, and Livingstone’s flycatcher.

The place to remain

As one in every of Africa’s better-kept secrets and techniques, the Liwonde expertise is unimaginable worth for cash, with funds to high-end lodging choices obtainable.

Kuthengo Camp

Positioned on a big open plain stretching in direction of the Shire River in Liwonde Nationwide Park, Malawi, you’ll discover Kuthengo Camp, with 4 spacious, en-suite safari tents, every with a bath an outside bathe, nestled amongst fever timber and baobabs. From adventurous sport drives and strolling safaris to tranquil boat cruises alongside the grand Shire River or cooling off within the plunge pool, there’s something for everybody.

Mvuu Lodge and Mvuu Camp

Hidden amongst the enduring fever timber of the magnificent Shire, Mvuu Lodge overlooks Namagogodo lagoon, because it flows from the park inside out in direction of the river. 5 comfortable tented chalets with non-public viewing decks, 3 spectacular secluded suites with plunge swimming pools and out of doors showers in each room. That is the proper spot for early morning bush walks, sluggish crusing on the Shire, thrilling sport drives or significant group engagements.

Mvuu Camp has a spectacular vantage level on the banks of the Shire River. The river is a magnet for wildlife and attracts an abundance of fauna to its banks. The camp, comprising 14 models, is a mixture of spacious stone and canvas chalets and specifically designed household tents. A formidable thatched eating and lounge space affords a powerful river vista that’s framed by two massive baobab timber. Dinners are typically held beneath the celebrities in a specifically constructed boma. Mvuu Camp is an ideal possibility for household journey and is finest suited to households with smaller kids because it affords a two-bedroom chalet designed for this goal.

Chimwala Bush Camp

Chimwala Bush Camp is a self-catering camp that includes 4 ensuite canvas tented suites with stone partitions and a stone household cottage that’s separate from the primary camp. The elevated thatched central space – lounge, eating space, bar and swimming pool – overlooks the Shire River and floodplain under. The camp is tucked up in opposition to Chinguni Hill within the shade of mopane and miombo woodland. Chimwala has a fringe fence. The camp is deep inside the park close to the most efficient sport viewing areas. Chimwala Bush Camp might be transformed into a completely catered camp in 2024, whereas the household cottage will stay self-catering. The camp is operated by African Parks and 100% of tourism income earned by African Parks goes to conservation and native communities

Sarah Kingdom

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, earlier than shifting to Africa on the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and information, journey author, yoga trainer, path runner, and mom of two. When she isn’t climbing or touring she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides journeys recurrently in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, and takes climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro quite a few occasions a 12 months.