As one descends the Thyolo Escarpment, views a large flat surface characterised by the green vegetation. That is Lengwe National Park.
Lengwe National Park lies 80km south of the country’s commercial city of Blantyre and 40km south of Chikwawa Boma.
The area, which covers 884 square kilometres, was declared a protected area as Game Reserve in1928.
Beatrice Mbewe, who lives in the vicinity of the park, told ProjectM that the Lengwe National Park boost of the presence of the Big five of Buffaloes, Elephants, Leopards, Lions and Rhinos.
She also said the national park boost of a huge population of nyala, zebras and other wildlife.
Mbewe also said accommodation is not a challenge to the visiting tourists coming to Lengwe National Park.
“There is Nyala Lodge which is in the Illovo Sugar Malawi’s Nchalo Estate where tourists coming to the area prefers to spend their time,” she said.
Another resident, Moses Malinga said there are some incidents of poaching, burning and cutting down trees carelessly in some parts of the park.
He lamented that there have been wildlife conflict with the community living closer to the protected area.
“The malpractice has gone down following the initiatives accorded to people within the park,” he said.
However, he said the Department of Wildlife with support from the Shire Valley Transformation Programme (SVTP) has introduced the goat pass-on initiative to the villagers.
He said the introduction of the goat pass-on project has changed the livelihoods of the community around the protected areas.
Division Manager for Lower Shire Division Wisely Kawaye has confirmed the coming in of more tourists to Lengwe National Park.
“I can confirm the presence of the big five in the National Park,” he said.
The division manager added that the park has attractive places in the park.
