Protecting Elephants and Rhinos in Malawi

Thank you for supporting and following Earthwatch’s African wildlife conservation efforts in Malawi! Dr. Alison Leslie and her team will resume their research in Majete Wildlife Reserve with the help of Earthwatch volunteers from June  – December 2015. In the meantime, I’m pleased to share with you now some preliminary highlights from the data collected in 2014:

• For the first time, a hyena was radio collared in Malawi.
• Findings from first-ever camera trap use in Majete have confirmed the presence of elusive caracal, serval and civets (medium-sized carnivores); and many more hyena than previously thought. Dr. Leslie says, “This is an exciting find as hyenas were never re-introduced into the park and must be animals that survived the human poaching onslaught in the 80’s and 90’s.”
• Camera traps also helped with the identification and arrest of two poachers.
• Black rhino monitoring was ramped up to include ear notching of newborn rhinos that will reduce the chance of mistaken identities during monitoring, and provide genetic samples to build baseline data on the health of rhino populations.
• Fixed-point photographs taken at 57 sites were used to update Majete vegetation maps from the early 90’s.
• Radio collars were removed from leopards that had been collared as juveniles and had outgrown them.
• Environmental education outreach programs grew, including volunteer visits to schools, and school children visits to the reserve.

None of this data collection would be possible without the ongoing support you provide as a concerned conservationist. On behalf of our scientists, volunteers and staff, thank you again for all that you do for Earthwatch and for African wildlife rescue. We look forward to sharing more results and updates after the 2015 fielding season begins in June!

Sincerely,

Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Services

P.S. Remember, you don’t just have to read about this research from afar… you can participate in it directly as a volunteer! Our 2015 teams are still accepting volunteers. Visit Animals of Malawi in the Majete Wildlife Reserve to learn more about daily life in the field as a wildlife biologist, or to reserve your spot as a volunteer today!

Links:

• Animals of Malawi in the Majete Wildlife Reserve

Thank you for following Earthwatch’s wildlife conservation efforts in Malawi! With your support, Dr. Alison Leslie and her team have just concluded their second year of research in the Majete Wildlife Reserve - 700 square kilometers of protected area at the southern end of Malawi, in Shire Valley. Since this study began in June 2013, 16 teams totaling 83 volunteers have traveled to “the Land of the Lake” to be a part of one of the first research initiatives in the reserve. Research activities conducted each fielding season include:

-          Tracking wildlife, on foot or from a vehicle, during the day and by spotlight at night, to obtain counts and locations of elephants, rhinos, lions, antelopes and other wildlife.

-          Monitoring camera traps - mounted cameras that automatically photograph anything that passes by.

-          Documenting and comparing wild vegetation throughout the park to plants growing in exclosure plots (small, fenced-in study areas that keep herbivores out).

-          Cataloguing and analyzing data.

-          Visiting local schools, to help teach the children about the importance of conservation.

The data collected is being used to gain a better understanding of how reintroduced species are faring in the reserve, and what management decisions are needed to keep critical predator-prey relationships in balance. Since 2003, more than 2,500 animals from 14 different species have been reintroduced to Majete. Thriving wildlife benefits ripple far beyond the park, as they attract tourism, that creates jobs, provides income and inspires the protection of additional habitat. Healthy ecosystems, in turn, provide food, clean water, nutrient cycling and other natural services to the community. When a species reaches its maximum sustainable population size in Majete, additional animals will be relocated to other national parks and wildlife reserves also devastated by poaching and habitat destruction.

Dr. Leslie will resume her research in 2015 from June – December with another eight teams of 6 Earthwatch volunteers each. We are very excited to be able to watch this project and its data unfold for another year, knowing that the information we collect is helping to protect Africa’s iconic species from extinction.

Thank you again for your interest in and support of Animals of Malawi in the Majete Wildlife Reserve. Continued success at Majete will provide a global model for how a reserve can successfully conserve biodiversity and sustain natural resources, benefit the economy and neighboring communities, and still be financially viable.

Wishing you a festive holiday and a healthy, happy and sustainable new year!

Sincerely,

Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Services

Questions about your donations? Want to learn more about Earthwatch's research in Malawi? Email any time: hwilcox@earthwatch.org.

Links:

• Animals of Malawi Expedition Page