MWABVI WILDLIFE
RESERVE
The reserve boasts a beautiful variety of habitats. It also showcases spectacular views of the Shire River.
MWABVI.
Originally the last refuge of Malawi’s Black Rhino in the 1960s, Mwabvi is today a shadow of its former natural heritage. Situated in the peaceful Southern tip of Malawi it was first gazetted in 1953. It is managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).
Today, anthropogenic pressure from it's neighbouring communities for both firewood, charcoal extraction and food, together with very low resources supplied by the government for control here has meant it is a shadow of its former self, employing few people, with very few visitors and very little wildlife to enjoy and therefore of little value to its bordering communities.
Its hidden beauty still lies in its undulating range of dry tropical Miombo and montane woodlands, sandstone outcrops, vleis and rugged hilly terrain on both sides. The Mwabvi, Dande and Thangadzi supply seasonal river waters, and on the reserve’s southern borders extends a further 28,000 hectares of precious montane forest called the Matandwe Reserve, part of a newly declared, threatened and understudied Ecoregion, the South East Africa Montane Archipelago with its many endemic and yet to be studied species.
The park was once home to the ‘Big Five’ but today it harbours small herds of buffalo, and antelope including endangered nyala and suni, together with kudu, duiker and impala alongside warthog. Leopard, jackal and serval are occasionally spotted. However, nothing like the multitude of species, both mammals and birds - more than 350 species - that existed in the past – and could once again make Mwabwi their home again – just as the well-known Africa Parks management have done so successfully in the last twenty years to the nearby Majete Wildlife Reserve.
Along with other greatly improved wildlife parks in Malawi under a Public Private partnership agreement, together with its world-renowned natural lake, Lake Malawi, Mwabvi’s rehabilitation and restoration as we propose, would add enormous momentum in ensuring Malawi becoming a world-class wilderness destination, together with creating an invaluable nature wilderness in a marginalised part of Southern Malawi that can create new jobs, new enterprises and new hope for its surrounding village communities and local government.
