Central African Wildlife Safari Fact Sheet: Back in the Wild

Central African Wilderness Safaris, one of Malawi's long-standing tour operators which also operates the iconic Mvuu Lodge in Liwonde National Park and four other hotels in Malawi, has released its latest newsletter. Read on to hear everything they did in August, in their own words.

With absolutely phenomenal wildlife sightings during the month of August, we can't help but reflect on the powerful demonstration that Liwonde offers of both the fragility and resilience of our planet. With the ecological collapse occurring around the world and - this is hard to swallow - the sixth global mass extinction in our current geological era, it is particularly exciting, refreshing and encouraging that we have witnessed such thriving biodiversity in Liwonde in the past month. How wonderful it is that our passionate and knowledgeable team of safari guides can share our passion for Malawi's thriving wildlife and the stories of where we came from to get here with guests from all over the world.

My first visit to Liwonde National Park was on July 6, 1976. There was a strong "chiperone" and the morning was very foggy, even in Livonda. It was magical. I especially remember the magnificent kudu bull emerging from the bushes. I continued on my way and just before Namadingo drifted I saw what I initially thought were large dogs! They turned out to be two young lions - the first lions I saw in Malawi.

On my next visit in 1987, I was leaving the park at 6pm and was joined at the gate by friends from Zomba who told me that a leopard had just crossed the road in front of them. About 70 meters from the gate the road descends to cross a tributary of the river, and as the front of the car dipped down, there was a lion in the headlights right in the middle of the road. Then I heard the cries of another lion passing nearby in the thicket, and a second male appeared on the road behind me.

Another time I was returning to Zomba from Lake Chiuta after inspecting the project. While accompanying my boss on the road, I thought it would be nice to spend an hour in the park - we drove to the plain overlooking Chinguni Hill. As we walked back to the park entrance, we came across a man standing at the foot of the road leading to Chinguni headquarters. My heart sank because I was afraid that he wanted to ask if we could help take his wife to the hospital or something like that. I stopped and said to him, “What can we do for you?” He replied: “Do you want to see a lion?” When I cautiously answered in the affirmative, he said, “Follow me,” and set off. I called out to him: “Would you like to get in the car?” He simply ignored me. After about 70 meters he stopped and pointed. I looked but didn't see anything. I said to him rather sarcastically, “Where is your lion?” He said, “there.” I looked too far - a healthy male lion was standing about 20 meters away!

In 1995, there were approximately 80 lions in 8 prides in Liwonde National Park. The Chinguni pride at the main gate numbered 16 individuals. By then, a South African project led by representatives of SANPARKS and the Frankfurt Zoological Society had installed wire fencing around much of the park. When the project ended, it took about 6 months before the next anti-poaching unit received funding and training to begin work. During this short period, most of the lions in Liwonda were poached. In many traditional health and wellness practices, lions are known for their "medicinal" value. Possibly also for financial reasons, during Malawi's transition from a one-party state to a democracy, lion body parts were in particular demand, primarily due to the ability to speak provided by the lion's vocal apparatus. It is important to note that there is no scientific evidence that the lion, or any wildlife for that matter, has medicinal value.

It's not just Liwonde's big cats that have seen their numbers decline. The sable population of about 800 individuals for which Livonde was famous was destroyed. By 1995, only about 80 individuals remained. However, long before the stories told above, visionary Anthony Hall-Martin saw the value in preserving what is today Liwonde National Park. The land currently located in the Liwonde National Park in Malawi has long been recognized as unsuitable for agriculture (Hall-Martin 1969). “The black cotton soil speaks for itself,” I was told by John Wilson, who has worked as a private consultant coordinating community projects across the country since the 1980s. In his original proposal, Hall-Martin (1969) wrote that "the creation of a park would not substantially interfere with any existing settled form of land use" but rather would allow "the use of an area clearly unsuitable for any other form of land use."

Today, Liwonde National Parks is home to one of the highest densities of mammals of any park in Malawi, including more than 7,000 waterbucks, 500 elephants and a growing population of lions, cheetahs and wild dogs. Where traditional land use for subsistence farming is absent and the population of the Balaka area increases beyond the ability to support it from local resources, the park cannot provide sustainable livelihoods for all, but its ability to provide financial support for some is exponential, and the environment the habitat it provides for a wealth of biodiversity cannot be overstated. Moreover, where Malawi is deforesting at an alarming rate of 330 km2 per year, what is not protected will be lost. In addition to being a major habitat for biodiversity, Liwonde National Park is one of Malawi's significant carbon sinks. Although a triumphant achievement, we have witnessed an effective public-private partnership between African Parks and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife of the Government of Malawi, as a tourism operator based in Liwonde since 1993, this is encouraging and rewarding to us. At Mvuu, the team and guests saw first-hand the transformation of what was once described as a park in "inevitable decline" into today's thriving wilderness.

So, with a strong emphasis on the history of Liwonde and where we came from, the wildlife sightings this month have been stellar. On two separate occasions we enjoyed clear views of black rhinoceros on several occasions. Guests enjoyed encounters with lions - both on foot, during a walking safari with David, and during a driving safari. The Mvuu pride, as we affectionately know them, resides in the north of the park and is currently raising four cubs. In the south, two females bear two and three young, respectively. We enjoyed a dominant male around tent 8 alone, a lion chasing a cheetah away from its prey, playful and inquisitive cubs, and a lion right at our campsite - it was certainly big cat month! The cheetah population in Liwonda is thriving and they are regularly observed hunting - both by car and by boat!

In the last week of August we welcomed two new cubs - our second northern pride litter!

Particularly interesting antelopes seen this month, in addition to our famous Liwonde kudu and waterbuck, were roan antelope, eland, sable, large herds of buffalo and small dazzling zebras. On the birding front we spotted Southern Black Tit and Fishing Owl, including juveniles. However, this month's victory must be due to Julius seeing an extraordinary 7 porcupines - much to the excitement of the guests!

Remembering Elizabeth
It is with a very heavy heart that we share the news that our beloved Elizabeth passed away in August 2022 after a short but aggressive battle with cancer. Elizabeth is remembered for her cheerful, enthusiastic and energetic presence at camp. Having been the head of housekeeping and a strong member of the team from the early days, Elizabeth took on the role of gogo (grandmother) to Mvuu. We will miss her dearly and her legacy lives on through her daughter Maggie, who remains with us as a valued member of the Mvuu team.

We take our health for granted, as does access to health care, of course, for those of us who have it. Rainbow for Africa is an Italian non-governmental medical development organization committed to providing sustainable, high quality and accessible healthcare to marginalized populations in Africa and beyond. Between August and September, Rainbow for Africa will accompany Africale and SafariADV's iconic Cape to Cairo trip as a mobile medical clinic hosting doctors and volunteers in various communities across the continent. In each country, they will visit and support organizations working on issues ranging from improving the quality of life to preserving wildlife. During their 6-day stay in Malawi, we were delighted to host this group at Camp Chelinda on the Nyika Plateau, where they very kindly offered to provide free medical checks for staff. This was made possible by generous donations and the organizers of the trip, any donations to this cause would be greatly appreciated.

With the goal of giving back to conservation, Prints for Wildlife raises funds for African wildlife through the sale of wildlife prints. 100% of the proceeds are donated to African Parks, which currently operates 22 parks in 12 different countries on the continent. If you are interested in purchasing a print or just browsing, check out their 2022 online gallery.

We are also pleased to announce that Jonas Strachberger, who has been working at Mvuu as an environmental education intern for the past six months and has taken on the role of our resident photographer, has been selected as the winner of the open competition. His photo below, titled “Elephant Kiss,” was taken on the banks of the Shire River.