African Parks, a renowned non-profit conservation NGO, recently took over the management of Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve and Liwonde National Park in Malawi. Tongole Wilderness Lodge, a luxury eco-lodge nestled deep amongst the breath-taking Miombo woodlands of the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, look forward to working with African Parks towards the common goal of ensuring the best management of the wildlife & communities in this wilderness area.
“We are very excited about the management of Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (NWR) being granted to African Parks. Tongole has laid strong foundations for improved conservation education and ensuring local communities are benefitting from the protection of this unique natural area. African Parks’ ethos complements that of Tongole perfectly and will ensure that the future is bright for both the wildlife of NWR and the surrounding communities and we look forward to working together to achieve this.”
A summary of proposed plans for NWR includes:
- translocation of a large amount of wildlife, including approximately 400 more elephants and 600 more general antelope species to the reserve;
- improved protection of the reserve by maintaining a strong force of government scouts;
- training and equipment for staff, so that they can effectively conduct patrols, in order to reduce poaching;
- creation of 150km of access roads in the reserve so that access and tourism revenue may increase;
- initiation of community projects, including scholarships, cultural centres for tourism purposes, community employment and education projects to establish conservation value;
- management of infrastructure e.g. park offices.
This is a historic and exciting development for Malawi, conservation of the country’s wildlife with direct benefits for local communities, and its growth as a tourist and safari destination.
Tongole have rightfully been nominated as Best Community Focused Safari Property in the 2016 Safari Awards. African Parks, a 2015 Safari Awards winner, will no doubt give Tongole’s existing community empowerment efforts a massive boost.