In the heart of Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, is the
Lilongwe Wildlife Center, Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary.
Malawi is one of the poorest and most densely populated
countries in Africa. Unfortunately, this means that many of Malawi’s wild animals
are slaughtered for bush meat or sold into the pet trade. In 2007, the Lilongwe
Wildlife Center opened, with a goal to rescue animals from this fate and to
educate the local population on conservation. Last year more than 12,000 school
children visited the Center to participate in animal and conservation-themed
educational programs.
Today, there are nearly 200 residents of the center: big
cats, birds, reptiles, primates, and other natives of Malawi. Some were found
for sale in local markets, some were brought in after car accidents, others
were donated from local families who could no longer care for the family “pet.”
In 2011 alone, 56 orphaned and injured animals were taken in at the Center.
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| Porcupines look so bizarre! |
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| Can you spot Henry inside the tire? |
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| Vervet Monkey |
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| Blue Monkey |
Kambuku, the leopard, broke his knee in a poacher’s snare.
He lived for 10 years in a zoo in Malawi and, in 2007, when the Center opened,
he moved here. Due to his leg injury, he can never be released, but he now
lives in a 26,000 square foot enclosure.
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| Difficult to “spot” in his outdoor
enclosure. |
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| Kambuku in his indoor space. |
Churley is a serval cat that was rescued from the illegal
pet trade as a baby.
When he came to the Center he was suffering from poor
nutrition. . .today he is a happy, healthy kitty.
