Majete Wildlife Reserve - Malawi

Majete Wildlife Reserve totals 700 KM2 and has been an African Parks project since 2003.  Majete was depleted of wildlife when African Parks assumed its management.  Scouts had been under-resourced and inadequately trained, and elephants, lions and other major species had been poached to local extinction.  It was a 'paper-park' in every sense - one that existed only in name and on a map, resulting in an empty forest.  Over a ten year period, African Parks restocked the reserve with more than than 8,800 animals, including the species that make up the Big Five; enacted rigorous law enforcement, and worked closely with the local communities.

Majete is regarded as one of Malawi's and the regions leading wildlife sanctuaries, and serves as a shining example of how area can be restored to flourish once again.

The stats....

• xZero rhino poached since 2003;
• 81 schools participating in environmental education;
• Majete provides 80 school bursaries each year, and maintains an orphanage.

The Highlights

• Majete was restocked with over 2,500 animals, including black rhino, elephants, lions, sable antelope and buffalo.  today more than 8,000 animals exist;
• Zero rhino and elephant have been poached since 2003 and 2006 respectively;
• Majete has transformed the local economy and directed funds in to critical social infrastructure, including schools, clinics and safe roads; employment has increased ten-fold since 2003;
• Thawale Tented Lodge, Mkulumadzi Lodge run by Robin Pope Safaris, and the community-run campsites offer tourists the opportunity to visit and experience the park. 

What next for Majete?

• Continue to strengthen law enforcement operations, advance the intelligence capability and work with communities to improve their quality of life;
• Strengthen community engagement by scaling up income generating activities and implement malaria controls through the operational research project, supported by the University of Malawi, Wageningen and Amsterdam, as well s africana Parks;
• Expand the reserve's tourist development plan to encourage further growth through the development of new lodges;
• Translocate 200 elephants from Majete to Nkhotoakota in 2017 to reduce habitat degradation.

All of this information has been taken from the African Parks website.  If you want to find out even more about Majete Wildlife Reserve then why not grab a cuppa and click on the link below - happy browsing!

Majete Wildlife Reserve

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