Home to one of the largest wildlife translocations in conservation history
Located near the western shores of Lake Malawi, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is crossed by rivers and streams that descend from the Rift Valley escarpment before continuing their journey towards the lake. The vegetation is particularly rich, dominated by miombo woodlands, open grasslands and pockets of rainforest.
In recent years, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve has undergone a remarkable revival thanks to the efforts of African Parks. Historically, the reserve was home to around 1,500 elephants, but poaching reduced the population to fewer than 100 individuals. In 2016 and 2017, in an operation recognised as one of the largest wildlife translocations ever undertaken, approximately 500 elephants and a further 2,000 animals from other species were moved into the reserve from Majete Wildlife Reserve and Liwonde National Park where wildlife populations had grown beyond the carrying capacity of the parks. The success of the programme was immediate, and animal numbers soon began to recover.
Today, among the dense vegetation of Nkhotakota, visitors may encounter elephants, sable and roan antelopes, buffalo, hippos, warthogs, zebras, baboons, leopards and lions, as well as a rich variety of birdlife, including giant kingfishers and palm-nut vultures.