Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Malawi.

After years of neglect, wildlife numbers are still low in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, but this is changing rapidly thanks to the efforts of African Parks. Elephants often come to drink at pools in the Bua River in the Dry season. Other species that might be encountered include yellow baboon, vervet monkey, buffalo, zebra, hippo, waterbuck, sable antelope and warthog. Of the larger carnivores, leopard and spotted hyena are present but very seldom seen.

ElephantOccasional

GiraffeNone

HippoOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraOccasional

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

LeopardRare

CheetahNone

HyenaRare

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Over 2016–17, Nkhotakota was the recipient of one of the largest elephant translocations ever undertaken. More than 500 elephants were relocated to the reserve from Majete Wildlife Reserve and Liwonde National Park, where numbers had become more than these smaller parks could manage. Elephants are seldom seen in Nkhotakota in the Wet season, but they often congregate at pools along the Bua River during the drier months of September to November.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Dry season from May to October is the best time for spotting animals in Nkhotakota. Wildlife is easiest to find from July onwards, once vegetation has thinned out and animals are forced to gather around permanent water sources.