Malawi sees surge in volunteers seeking conservation experience

Malawi has seen a six-fold increase in interest from international volunteers keen to support wildlife conservation efforts since Covid-related travel restrictions were lifted. The trend, reported by one of the country's leading conservation organisations, Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, confirms Malawi is becoming an increasingly popular destination for global travelers and wildlife lovers after it was named in the 'Top 10' earlier this year. Lonely Planet places to visit in 2022.

Although Africa's tourism industry is taking longer to recover from the pandemic than other regions, demand for ecotourism and wildlife interactions is high among young travelers seeking meaningful experiences that benefit the places, people and wildlife they interact with. collide. In recent years, Malawi has established itself as a new leader in conservation, with the government introducing tough penalties for wildlife criminals and organizations such as African Parks reviving wildlife populations and habitats in national parks and protected areas countries. This is an exciting time for visitors and volunteers in Malawi to get involved in conservation work.

The Lilongwe Wildlife Trust placement program offers students, volunteers and researchers from around the world experience in conservation work, biodiversity research and wildlife medicine. Its program was stopped in 2020 due to Covid-related travel restrictions. As a result, Malawi's only wildlife sanctuary, the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, saw a 79% decline in volunteer tourism in 2020, resulting in a critical loss of manpower to care for the animals under its protection (the sanctuary supports around 200 animals every day, many of whom were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade).

Since August 2021, when Malawi's borders were fully open to travelers with a negative PCR test, the refuge has again been able to host international volunteers and has seen numbers increase sixfold compared to the same period last year, demonstrating the huge demand for this type of travel (although bookings overall are still lower than before the pandemic).

During the pandemic, with Malawi reporting 86,576 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust turned the quiet period into an opportunity to implement plans to transform its territory. After receiving funding from a small group of donors, including the United Nations Development Program, the Olsen Fund for Animal Welfare, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, entirely new wildlife care facilities, new housing for volunteers, and a new education center for local schoolchildren were built.

The shelter's new developments include a large veterinary center with a clinic, purpose-built laboratory and intensive care units, as well as new quarantine and enclosures for rescued animals. These improvements provide more space and better learning facilities for both national and international students, who can now come to the Lilongwe Wildlife Center to complete their part-time studies or develop an interest in wildlife medicine.

Tom Mixer, Chief Operating Officer of Lilongwe Wildlife Trust said:
“We are delighted to see growing interest in volunteer tourism in Malawi as borders reopen – volunteers are absolutely essential to our work. While the pandemic has been disruptive in many ways, it has given us time to invest in our operations and adapt wildlife accommodation to a market that is clearly looking for more sustainable and ethical ways to travel. With Malawi listed as one of Lonely Planet's top 10 destinations to visit this year, we hope international volunteers will continue to consider Malawi as an exciting option. The majority of our volunteers come from Europe and America, so we are optimistic that as traveler confidence grows, we will see more volunteers returning to support our efforts to rescue and protect wildlife in Malawi." .