Wildlife Monitoring Liwonde National Park, Malawi

Start your adventure as a volunteer in our wildlife monitoring project in Liwonde National Park, Malawi!

In the breathtaking landscape of Liwonde, you will focus on monitoring endangered species. You will observe iconic animals such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and vultures and collect valuable data that will feed directly into local conservation strategies. The project includes monitoring and research work that will help fill critical knowledge gaps and support national and regional conservation efforts.

Experience unique moments as you learn more about the social dynamics of groups and individual wildlife. These include impressive events such as a take-over of a lion pride by a new male, the training of an adolescent cheetah in hunting, or the fascinating interaction between vultures and other scavangers at a carcass. Even if the project team does not track elephants or rhinos, you are likely to see them during your drives through the park. Immerse yourself in this unique opportunity to actively shape the future of Malawi's wildlife and learn about the wilderness!

Activities:
The work in the field is intensive and requires early rises, long days, and a lot of patience. Activities include radio-tracking target animals, checking camera traps, and recording incidental sightings.

Working in a small team, you will learn how to carry out VHF radio tracking, animal identification, camera trapping, and the detailed process of data entry. All surveillance activities are carried out by vehicle. You will have two trips per day - about five hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. To track the animals, you and your team will be constantly on the move, so the vehicle will rarely stop except to check one of the camera trap stations.

You will be travelling on unpaved gravel roads, which are usually very uneven and can become muddy in the rainy season - so be prepared for an exciting time.