African Parks, in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) on Thursday completed a series of lion translocations from South Africa to Malawi.
Seven lions have been re-introduced to Liwonde National Park after two males were brought from Majete Wildlife Reserve in March to re-establish the species in the park.
African Parks public relations coordinator Fran Read said in a statement last week that the arrival of the lions follows the recent reintroduction of cheetahs to Liwonde in May 2017 as part of a wider initiative to restore predators to the region.
“These latest introductions highlight the ongoing restoration of Malawi’s natural heritage by the Malawian Government and African Parks for the long-term benefit of the people of Malawi.
“We are excited to share that we have concluded a series of lion translocations to Malawi, reintroducing the species to Liwonde National Park, where the population disappeared 20 years ago,” she said.
On his part, Department of National Parks and Wildlife director Brighton Kumchedwa said: “We are proud of the restoration of our country’s parks and are committed to ensuring the ongoing protection of these extraordinary national assets.”
The statement said the translocation was made with financial support from the Dutch Government, the Lion Recovery Fund and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
It also included introducing an additional five lions into Majete where the predators were reintroduced by African Parks in 2012, bringing the reserve’s population to 17.
