This 2 December 2019 video about Malawi says about itself:
How Wildlife Is Bouncing Back In This African Park | National Geographic
When Tizola Moyo started as a ranger in 1993, Majete Wildlife Reserve was devoid of any wildlife. Now, with the help of the park’s rangers and community collaboration, it’s flourishing.
This video about African music says about itself:
Seun Kuti Calls IMF Director A Witch/Malawi‘s Zomba Prison Band Nominated For Grammy
6 January 2016
Seun Kuti, CEO of Egypt 80 and son of music legend Fela Kuti expresses his feelings about IMF Chief Christine Lagarde ’s visit to Nigeria.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Lagarde are reportedly having talks concerning the nation’s economy.
The Zomba Prison Band, made up of inmates from one of Malawi’s most congested prisons secure the country’s first Grammy nomination.
From the World Socialist Web Site today:
International Monetary Fund determines pay for civil servants in Malawi
This week civil servants in Malawi demonstrated against an inadequate 15 percent pay offer made by the government.
Placards on the demonstration spelled out demands for a 67 percent pay increase, full pay while on leave, additional hiring of staff and unbiased promotion. Workers are also demanding support for medical costs.
The government claim their pay offer is determined by the International Monetary Fund, which verifies budget spending priorities.
This video from South Africa says about itself:
Black Rhino Cow Tries To Revive Dead Calf
8 February 2013
Black Rhino grieves over her dead calf and tries to revive it after it was struck by lightning.
From LILONGWE NEWS blog in Malawi:
BABY RHINO DE-SNARED
14 August 2015
Today we received this update from our partners at the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in Malawi.
A poor little [black] rhino calf was caught in a snare in Liwonde National Park in Malawi, but luckily Lilongwe Wildlife Trust’s wildlife emergency response unit (WERU) were on hand to help.
Kate Moore tells us more about the operation:
After four days of tracking the team finally had the opportunity to dart the mother, Namatunu, allowing the team to sedate the calf, believed to be just a few months old, and work on removing the snare. The snare had become embedded around the baby’s foot.
WERU’s lead vet Amanda Salb cleaned up the wound, which was very deep, and gave antibiotics to avoid infection. The team also found out that the calf was a ‘she’…nice to know! A VHF transmitter was then attached to her tail so that she can be monitored to make sure the injury heals properly and she experiences no further problems as a result. Once awake, both mother and daughter were seen leaving the area together and have been spotted doing well since then.
Wire snares are set by poachers to catch buffalo and antelope so they can sell the meat, but other wildlife such as elephant, rhino and lions are regularly caught accidentally as snaring is indiscriminate in their action.
The operation took a lot of teamwork from Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, CAWS, Cluny Wildlife Trust and African Parks, as well as the Born Free sponsored vehicle, so congratulations to everyone involved!
This 10 May 2015 video is called Birds and Animals at Vwasa Lodge, Malawi.
From Wildlife Extra:
African Parks takes over Liwonde NP and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi
African Parks, the non-profit organisation that takes responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities, has concluded an agreement with the government of Malawi to manage and operate Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve for 20 years.
The agreement follows an application and evaluation process administered by the Public Private Partnership Commission in which African Parks emerged as the preferred partner to manage the two protected areas.
Liwonde National Park, located in the southern Malawi is 548[k]m² in size and consists of woodland, floodplains, grasslands, and lagoon. It supports the largest remaining population of elephants in the country as well as one of two populations of black rhino.
Other mammal species include: hippo, hyena, buffalo, warthog, several antelope species and more than 400 bird species. Lions were once commonplace and the healthy populations of other large mammals will allow for the quick reintroduction of predators.
Liwonde’s tourism offerings include the luxury Mvuu Lodge and family-friendly Mvuu Camp run by Central African Wilderness Safaris, as well as the rustic Liwonde Safari Camp.
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, located in the central region of Malawi is 1,800 km² in size, lying within the miombo woodland zone. It is a major catchment area for Lake Malawi.
Although a depleted park, it still has remnant populations of elephant, warthog, baboon, and various antelope species as well as 280 bird species. Well managed, it has the potential to become an important area for elephant conservation in Malawi.
Black rhino, lion, cheetah and wild dog once existed but are now all locally extinct. Tongole Wilderness Lodge offers guests a luxury wilderness experience, Bua River Lodge offers moderately priced accommodation. There is also a campsite on Chipata Mountain used by self-drive visitors.
“We are excited about the mandate granted to us by the Ministry Of Information, Tourism and Culture and are encouraged about the potential of both projects,” said Peter Fearnhead, African Parks CEO.
“Our aim is to completely restore the biodiversity in both Liwonde and Nkhotakota, enhance the tourism product and experience, reduce the extensive human-wildlife conflict, ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and contribute to the socio economic development of local communities living around the two areas.
“This will be achieved through an $18m investment in the two parks over a five year period, made possible by a few key partners of African Parks”.
This video says about itself:
Stop Wildlife Crime. Protect Malawi’s Wildlife
8 April 2015
Stop Wildlife Crime. Protect Malawi’s Wildlife – a joint initiative between Lilongwe Wildlife Trust and the Department of National Parks & Wildlife.
Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands today:
A 54-year-old man from Woerden was sentenced to fifteen months in prison, five months suspended, for illegal pet trade. The court in Utrecht also fined him, 2,000 euros.
P. traded extensively in animals, like Philippine falconets, ring-tailed lemurs and leopards. He brought them to Europe from all directions. To get this done, he was guilty of forgery of documents, says the court. The Woerden man, eg, used the ‘zoo route’, in which zoos were mentioned as fake destinations.
Excreta
In a shed owned by P. police found in 2012 a large number of animals in horrible conditions. They were in dirty cages and in their food and water bowls were droppings.
This video is about wildlife in Malawi.
From BirdLife:
International Young Conservationist Award for Malawi BirdLife Partner volunteer
By Adrian Long, Wed, 19/11/2014 – 14:07
The International Young Conservationist Award has been given to Tiwonge I Mzumara-Gawa, a PhD student at the University of KwaZulu Natal and a volunteer Conservation and Research officer for the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) – the BirdLife Partner in Malawi. She has been key in assessing threatened species and IBAs in Malawi and also coordinates a garden bird count.
Speaking at the World Parks Congress, being held in Sydney, Australia, Tiwonge said:
“I am feel truly blessed and honoured to receive this award, which is really for the amazing team of people with whom I work with. It’s humbling to know that the work we are doing in Malawi can be recognized at such an international stage! It’s really given us the ‘wings to fly’ and given us the encouragement to do even more for Malawi’s birds in the coming years.’
The International Young Conservationist Award is a joint initiative of the International Ranger Federation (IRF) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature – World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN/ WCPA). The Award aims to recognise and raise awareness of the outstanding contributions made by young people to the conservation of protected areas; it honours their efforts and their passion, dedication and commitment.
It also seeks to encourage young professionals and, by presenting the award at a global conservation event, provides them with an opportunity to develop networks to enable them to further enhance their efforts. Recipients of the award are invited to join the IUCN WCPA Young Professionals Group and are invited to be on the IRF’s mailing list.
This video says about itself:
Most Beautiful National Birds | Country A – Z | Part 3
1) Haiti, Hispaniolan Trogon
2) Honduras, Scarlet Macaw
3) Hungary, Saker Falcon
4) Iceland, Gyrfalcon
5) India, Indian Peacock
6) Indonesia, Javan Hawk-eagle
7) Iran, Common Nightingale
8) Iraq, Chukar Partridge
9) Israel, Hoopoe
10) Jamaica, Doctor Bird
11) Japan, Green Pheasant
12) Jordan, Sinai Rosefinch
13) Kenya, Lilac-breasted Roller
14) Latvia, White Wagtail
15) Liberia, Garden Bulbul
16) Lithuania, White Stork
17) Luxembourg, Goldcrest
18) Magnificent Frigatebird, Antigua and Barbuda
19) Malawi, Bar-tailed Trogon
20) Malaysia, Rhinoceros Hornbill
By Kariuki Ndang’ang’a – BirdLife Africa Partnership Secretariat:
Fast, affordable stoves destined to save Malawian forests from pressure
Tue, 19/08/2014 – 10:10
As we approach one of the villages in rural Malawi, a few kilometres from the Nchitsi Forest Reserve boundary, we are met by a group of villagers in song and dance. It is hard for them to hide their excitement upon seeing staff of Wildlife Environment Society of Malawi (WESM, BirdLife partner in Malawi). They quickly lead us to the kitchen and one of them and proudly show us a changu mbaula – Chichewa for ‘fast stove’, also known as ‘rocket’ stove for its quick cooking abilities. It turns out that in the next three days we’ll visit two IBAs, Nchitsi Forest Reserve and Kasungu National Park, we’ll meet many of such groups with testimonies about the stoves, village forest areas and other conservation work they are involved in.
“We are very happy that WESM told us about these stoves”, explains the woman owner of the kitchen. “These should have come even much earlier. The stoves have saved us from a lot of trouble. Before I started using this stove, I could fetch four bundles of firewood per week”, she adds. “Now with the changu baula, I only use one bundle of firewood in two weeks. I can also use maize cobs for a long time instead of firewood”. Other villagers join in explaining the advantages of the stove: it is fast, cooking pots remain relatively clean, health standards are high due to reduced smoke, and are extremely convenient since two pots can be cooked at the same time. “Most importantly, they have significantly reduced pressure from the forest since we are fetching much less firewood from the forest. This gives us more spare time for other duties”, explains the leader of the particular Village Natural Resource Committee (VNRC). “The stoves are in use in 106 of the 114 households found in this particular VNRC, with the remaining 12 houses belonging to old people who do not cook for themselves”, she adds. Communities around Nchitsi Forest Reserve (an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area- IBA) are organised into VNRCs each linked to the lowest administrative unit under a village head. WESM is working with 70 such VNRCs around Nchitsi, 150 around Kasungu National Park and 82 around Dzalanyama Forest Reserve. Through engagement of VNRCs and school wildlife clubs, large numbers of communities are reached. “For example, around Kasungu National Park, 3850 rocket stoves are confirmed to be in use by communities”, says Charles Beni, a WESM field officer who is based in Kasungu.
On visiting another kitchen 300 metres away from the first, we ask the owner how much money it cost her to make the stove. “Nothing”, she answers. “All materials, which include cow dung, anthill soil and locally made clay bricks, are locally available. All I needed is labour and the skills that WESM field officers had offered to us”, she explains confidently. Indeed this is confirmed the following day when we visit VNRCs around Kasungu National Park and three of them quickly demonstrate skilfully how the stove is constructed. Grace Jackson, the WESM Nchitsi field officer then takes us to the home of the Traditional Authority, the leader responsible for a set of VNCRs in the area. “He is the champion for the use of the stove and other conservation work by the communities and he is keen that we witness that he is using this amazing stove; otherwise he’ll be disappointed”, Grace asserts.
Each of the VNRCs we visit also takes us to Village Forest Areas (VFAs) they have communally established. These are portions of land (mostly >2 ha) dedicated to planting of trees for use by the respective villages. Each of the VFA has in the last one year been planted with 1500 to 6000 tree seedlings of different species. In the previous year the VNRCs had established tree nurseries with the help of WESM and had transferred the seedlings to the VFAs during the rainy season. Communities and schools wildlife clubs are also encouraged to establish small woodlots near homes and in school compounds. These will in future be sources of wood for the communities and thus serve in reducing pressure from the forests.
“Before WESM came, we were doing environmental conservation without skills. Now we have been trained in tree nursery management, tree planting and governance of our committee, and supplied with basic materials and equipment”, says the chair of Chikoma VNRC in Kasungu. “We however request for support in implementing livelihood improvement business enterprises so that we can be able to earn a better living and sustain our conservation work”, he adds. This message is echoed in several groups we visit. Luckily, WESM is exploring possibilities of supporting business enterprises for the communities in the next phase if resources are found. “In addition to the business enterprises to support community livelihoods, our hope is to establish a proper monitoring system to determine the actual impacts of the work we are doing in the natural resources in the IBAs”, explains Vincent Kaitano, the WESM Lilongwe Branch Manager. “We also aspire to support communities in establishing umbrella community associations representing all VNRCs at each IBA. These would be the equivalent of BirdLife Site Support Groups and would help us in easier communication and support across villages”, Vincent adds. “These three elements would greatly help in sustaining our work with the communities. However, we are yet to obtain resources for this next phase, and would welcome any support”, says Vincent.
The VNRCs have also been instrumental in voluntary patrolling of Kasungu National Park, Nchitsi Forest Reserve and Dzalanyama Forest Reserve against poaching and fire. “Through working with WESM, the park’s relationship with communities has improved and poaching reduced”, says the Warden of Kasungu National Park upon making a courtesy call to his office. “We acknowledge the great facilitation we have received through collaboration with WESM, which has led to improved patrolling of the park”.
This work has been made possible by project funding to WESM by NORAD through the Norwegian Ornithological Society (NOF – the BirdLife Partner in Norway). The project aims at improving rural livelihoods strategies in IBAs through enhanced biodiversity conservation, promotion of sustainable enterprises and fostering public private partnerships.
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide:
Malawi: Reserve Resurrected By ‘Noah’s Ark’ Project
4 January 2012
Antelope, elephants, leopards and lions are grazing and reproducing again in a reserve in Malawi, resurrected through a repopulation project of biblical proportions.
In only eight years, South African NGO African Parks Network reintroduced over 2,500 animals in the sprawling Majete Wildlife Reserve next to the Shire, the main river in the landlocked southern African nation.
“Majete is a success story of a Noah’s Ark operation,” Peter Fernhead, the head of the organisation said, referring to the biblical story in which Noah repopulates the earth after guarding animals and his family in a big ship during a global deluge.
The reserve was launched in 1955, but poachers gradually hunted almost all the animals.
Only a few baboons remained in the 700-square-kilometre (270-square-mile) park when African Parks took over its management after signing a 25-year partnership deal with the Malawi government in 2003.
“There was no control actually. The last elephant was poached in 1992,” said the park’s director Patricio Ndadzela, adding that a decade ago there were several hundred.
“No tourist came to this place. There was simply nothing!”
Majete has since become the new home of 742 impalas, 359 sable antelope, 306 buffalo, 250 elephants, 177 zebras, 158 warthogs, seven black rhinos, and four leopards. And the list goes on.
“We only relocate animals that once were present here,” said ranger Fyson Suwedi, which means no giraffes or ostriches will be brought to the reserve that is now completely fenced.
Next June, some lions will arrive to complete the Big Five collection, Africa’s five trademark animals that are a major tourist draw: lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalos. …
The reserve also hopes to attract more local visitors despite high poverty levels. Malawi’s biggest city Blantyre is only 70 kilometres (43 miles) away.
Locals are also reaping the benefits.
“Most of the people employed here were probably poachers. They had to poach for meat, there is no economy in this area,” said veterinarian Andre Uys, who oversaw most of the animal transfers.
Around 130 people and at least as many seasonal workers from the local community have jobs at the reserve.
“Our objective is to make sure that the value generated by the park is captured by local people for local people,” says Fernhead.
Locals also have a new clinic, a school and water sources thanks to African Parks.
This video is called BBC World News: Malawi president Bingu wa Mutharika won’t quit despite protests 0016 22 July 2011.
Another video, no longer on YouTube, used to say about itself:
20 July 2011
Malawi’s main cities have erupted in protest against President Bingu wa Mutharika, leaving one person dead as police used live fire and teargas to break up crowds who torched homes and vehicles.
One person was shot dead and six injured in the northern town of Mzuzu, a hospital official said, while police beat activists with rifle butts in the capital Lilongwe and fired teargas in the commercial hub Blantyre.
From Reuters:
Malawi report says 19 killed, 58 shot in protests
Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:13pm GMT
By Mabvuto Banda
LILONGWE – Malawi police killed 19 unarmed citizens and shot 58 others during protests in July, the government’s rights body said on Monday, in the first official report on unprecedented rallies against President Bingu wa Mutharika’s government.
The Human Rights Commission report was released as the country braced for more protests later this week that have raised fears of fresh violence.
The report accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and state controlled media of inciting violence ahead of the July demonstrations.
“Police did not effectively perform their role … They even failed to meet the threshold set out in the Police Act as they disproportionately used firearms, contravened the provisions of the Act and other relevant provisions,” the commission said.
Opposition groups have given the president a Wednesday deadline to listen to their demands, promising more protests if he does not address the chronic poverty that has ensnared most of the southern African country’s 13 million people.
Mutharika, a former World Bank economist, has seen his country lose close to $1 billion in foreign aid after donors objected to the violent crackdown on the rallies.
Oh yeah … the World Bank, ramming Thatcherite austerity down poor people’s throats all over the world. First run by neo-conservative corrupt nepotist Paul Wolfowitz. Now, since Wolfowitz’ resignation, by George W. Bush appointee Zoellick.
Mutharika is a fan of the infamous former dictator of Malawi, Hastings Banda. Banda was an ally of the rich western countries and the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Mutharika has warned there could be more bloodshed if protests go ahead. The army said at the weekend it plans to step in if violence flares.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 