Biodiversity Conservation

Over the past decade, elephant and other wildlife species have been translocated to repopulate the reserve, restoring the integrity of the park as an important wildlife habitat. 

Thanks to one of the largest translocations to take place, the elephant population in Nkhotakota is rising steadily © Frank Weitzer

Between 2016 and 2017,  Nkhotakota received roughly 150 elephant from Majete and 350 from Liwonde in one of the largest elephant translocations in history, as well as over 2,000 other animals including sable, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, and warthog.

In 2022, over 800 animals were translocated from Liwonde National Park in another landmark conservation effort aimed at restoring Nkhotakota’s wildlife and ecology. These included hippo, eland, kudu, zebra, impala, warthog, sable, buffalo and waterbuck.

Camera trap data and species estimates suggest that key species populations, such as leopard and elephant, are on the increase, showing that restoration efforts are paying off. 

In 2024 a groundbreaking entomological study revealed just how much life exists and remains to be discovered within Nkhotakota’s woodlands and rivers. In total, 1,240 insect species, including 87 not previously recorded in Nkhotakota, were recorded – at least seven of these species are entirely new to science.

Efforts to conserve the mpasa or lake salmon (Opsaridium microlepis) in the Bua River progressed with the launch of the Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management Plan, a district-based multi-stakeholder effort championed by the Restoring Fisheries and Sustainable Livelihoods (REFRESH) project. Working with communities along the 15km stretch of the Lower Bua, its activities include conservation law enforcement, preventing illegal fishing, and catchment rehabilitation.  In addition, efforts by the ranger team have led to fewer illegal camps and snares throughout the park.

Rangers and the monitoring and research team often collaborate to conduct fieldwork in Nkhotakota © Frank Weitzer

Community engagement along with improved conservation law enforcement efforts and ranger training have seen a significant decrease in unsustainable resource harvesting over the last six years. No elephant have been poached in the last four years, nor any other key species in 2024. However, regular confiscations of illegally hunted bushmeat highlight this persistent challenge within the reserve.

Refresher training in basic field ranger modules, human rights, first aid, and other subjects is ongoing throughout the year for all ranger teams.