June 18-20
...don’t forget to take a photo before you scream!
Hello everyone!
Liwonde: quite the way to introduce my parents to the
animals of the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’.
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| Elephant |
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| Hippo |
I’ve had visitors in each country I’ve lived in since
leaving British shores in late 2009. Some have been friends, some have been
strangers. There has always been one constant though: my parents. Brave souls, coming to visit me in some far-flung places.
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| Eating in a local restaurant in Siheung-si, Korea |
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| On a boat ride along Astana's Ishim river |
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| 'White water' rafting in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic |
They had been to South Africa but hadn’t had many of the
truly African experiences, particularly going on safari. After an introduction
to Lilongwe life and a stop at Lake Malawi, we drove to a national park just
beyond the lake’s southern tip: Liwonde National Park. The last 15km or so of
this drive is very much off-road.
The national park straddles the Shire (SHEE-ray) river,
which is the only outlet from the lake. The main accommodation is across the
river, which you (not your car) are transported across by boat. This allowed my
mum and dad to see one of the ‘Big Five’ in the flesh for the first time. The
biggest of them, actually…
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| The elephant was initially well-camouflaged by the tall grass |
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An African elephant has ears which resemble
the continent on which it lives |
Many of the activities in Liwonde focus on the river.
Wildlife is abundant on the banks of the river. There are over 2000 hippos in
the park, with the vast majority of them keeping wet and cool in the water.
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| Hippos spend most of their day in the river |
Well, most of them…
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| This hippo was almost 100 metres inland |
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| A hippo, visible from my chalet |
This section of the Shire is quite shallow, allowing the
three-ton tanks to run through the river. As you’d imagine, they make quite a
splash…
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Considering their size, hippos move
surprisingly fast |
Another common sight – though well camouflaged – is the
fearsome crocodile, who certainly doesn’t make a hippo-style din when slinking
into the Shire. The way they move – and don’t move – is incredibly menacing.
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| Many crocodiles along the Shire are in excess of 4 metres long |
What makes Liwonde a particularly special park in Malawi is
the variety of birds. Over 380 have been recorded within the 548km2
park area. Along the river, we spotted fish eagles and starlings, whilst inland
we saw two of my favourites: the green bee-eater and the lilac-breasted roller.
Their vivid colours are beautiful.
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| Fish eagles, perfectly still on a branch |
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There is a bee-eater somewhere in this picture,
I promise! |
When leaving on our final morning boat ride, we eyed a
kingfisher with a fish almost equal to it in size in its beak. It was killing
it in a brutal fashion, hitting the poor chambo against the dock. The fact that
it was still pureeing the same fish when we returned two hours later showed the
bird’s indefatigable work ethic.
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The kingfisher has to smash its prey to the point
at which it can swallow it |
Often, birds such as egrets were to be found on the back of
the larger mammals. Arguably our most memorable experience in Liwonde was
seeing a herd of elephants up close from our little, wooden boat. The harmony
of the two species, along with the mountainous background, painted a beautiful
picture.
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Birds often look like they're pecking the elephants - they're
removing bugs from their hides |
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| There were about eight elephants all together at this point |
Wildlife isn’t restricted to the river in Liwonde. The
eastern side of the Shire, where the majority of the park lies, contains many
different species of antelope, as well as warthogs and more elephants. I also
saw my first wild porcupine on our evening drive; they are a lot bigger than I
thought!
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A kudu's age can be learnt from the
length of its horns - this one is quite old |
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| This warthog buckled its knees in order to eat |
The park owners have decided there are actually too many
elephants for the size of the park to sustain, as they risk permanently
damaging the environment. Currently there is a much-publicised move happening
as hundreds of elephants are relocated to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, further
north in the country. Described as one of history’s largest elephant
translocations, African Parks successfully transferred 261 elephants to
Nkhotakota, helping to repopulate a park devastated by poaching (numbers have
fallen from 1,500 to fewer than 100 in recent times). A similar number are being
prepared to move. One frightening fact I learnt was that one drop of the
tranquilliser used, M-99, landing in your eye would cause you to die. In three minutes.
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An elephant on its hind legs, desperately
stretching for the leaves above |
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| A younger elephant hiding behind a tree |
What was amazing about Liwonde was to see the smaller
animals freely roaming the open grassland. This is due to a lack of predators in
the park, with only the hyena or a crocodile being a threat to the impala, kudu
and others. This dynamic will change in the near future, however. Cheetahs were
introduced into the park last month (we didn’t see them), and there are plans
for lions to be introduced into Liwonde in December. The current inhabitants
will have to adapt quickly to avoid becoming the easiest prey for these cats.
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| Herds of impala roam free in Liwonde |
Some of the more dangerous animals in Liwonde are currently
contained within a fenced ‘sanctuary’. We didn’t see the black rhinos but I did
see my first African buffalo. Their legs seem too spindly for their bulky bodies,
though I wouldn’t dare say that to their face.
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An African buffalo is said to have poor eyesight
and hearing, but a tremendous sense of smell |
As ever, the scenery was stunning. I’ve developed a love for
baobab trees and African sunsets, both of which were impressive during our time
here.
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Baobabs with a diameter of 5 metres are
thought to be about 1,000 years old |
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| Sunset over the open grassland of Liwonde |
All three of us thoroughly loved our time in Liwonde
National Park. It’s great to see the
wonder in faces of people who have never been on safari before, yet every
adventure is different. From our first sights of elephants on the boat across
to Mvuu, to having a brief staring contest with an elephant on the way out of
the park, and everything in between, it was a magical experience which I’m glad
I could share with my parents. It was a unique experience for them, and with
lions, rhinos, leopards and rhinos for them to see, I’m sure they’ll be on
safari again very soon!
Love you all
Matt
