Where to see wild dogs in Malawi

Quick facts about Wild dog

Malawi offers excellent habitat for the African wild dog and the species was widespread until persecution saw it eradicated during the last century. In 2021, conservation charity African Parks joined the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife in an ambitious reintroduction programme. Six wild dogs from Mozambique were released in Majete Wildlife Reserve and another eight from South Africa in Liwonde National Park. These were the first wild dogs to roam wild in Malawi for 60 years. They soon settled and numbers increased, but tragedy struck in 2023 when the entire Liwonde pack was lost to a mass poisoning incident – proof of just how vulnerable this species remains. The Majete pack, thankfully, is doing well.

Malawi: wild dog hot spots

Currently, the only reliable place in Malawi to see African wild dogs is Majete Wildlife Reserve in the south-west. Wildlife in this 70,000-hectare reserve was severely depleted until African Parks took over management in 2003. Several large mammal species were subsequently reintroduced, including black rhino, lion, elephant, cheetah and – in 2021 – wild dog. The original pack of six adults, brought from neighbouring Mozambique, has since grown to at least 15. Sightings are not guaranteed as the dogs often frequent inaccessible, wooded parts of the reserve. However, guests at one of the lodges may get lucky, with the odds likely to improve as the population becomes more established. Elsewhere in Malawi, wild dogs occasionally turn up unexpectedly: in 2023 three individuals were caught on camera trap in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, in the north.