20 Years of African Parks in Majete leads to phenomenal success

Majete Wildlife Reserve, located in the South West of Malawi, provides a story of recovery and restoration. Thanks to the tireless work by African Parks, the reserve continues to exceed former glories since their management agreement came into place 20 years ago. And the statistics speak for themselves! From a report that details wildlife sightings in the last month it’s clear that safari-goers in Majete are now reaping the benefits of all the work that’s been done, with the growth in predators being particularly impressive.

Across the 20 years of success since their appointment in 2003, over 5000 animals of 17 species have now been reintroduced to the reserve, including lion, leopard, black rhino, buffalo, elephant, wild dog, cheetah, and sable antelope. This has lead to Majete becoming Malawi’s premier wildlife destination, and home to the desirable ‘Big Five’.

In the last five years alone, many ambitious translocations have taken place. Back in 2018, four lions were introduced to bolster population numbers and genetics. With recent monitoring, it is now believed that the current lion population is to be in the region of around 48. A fantastic increase!

Between 2019 and 2021, despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic placed on African Parks, they successfully introduced 12 cheetahs to Majete. In the past month, 14 cheetahs were spotted including a female cheetah with 5 cubs.

In 2021, 10 giraffes were introduced to the reserve, and in the past month alone, 18 giraffes were photographed and identified by African Parks.

Much to the delight of visitors, wild dogs were spotted on regular occasions along the Shire river loops. Most overnight tourists visiting Majete this month have been able to add wild dogs to their tick lists. They have remained very active in their hunting too. On one occasion, guests recorded three separate kills in one day!

Visitors to Majete in recent months have been treated to some wonderful sights of the Big Five, something that was impossible only a few decades ago. By the late 1990’s most species of large game, including elephant, had been eradicated from Majete. Remnant populations of a few resilient species remained but they had been reduced to very low, and in some cases critical numbers. Work by African Parks over the past 20 years is yielding positive results as we witness animals now thriving in the reserve.

Guests can experience Majete as part of a southern tour of Malawi with many of the country’s Tour Operators. Overnight accommodation is also available in the park and can be found here.

To learn more about Majete WIldlife Reserve, click here.