Golden Malawi
Photograph by Alice Peretie
Stuffing my face with the last piece of banana bread I could get my hands on before the afternoon game drive, I attempt to swallow everything in a gulp as I pick up the tonne of gear that was with me (travel light, what?). It was just Amir (my travel partner) and I this time, we had the car to ourselves. Our guides, Duncan and Emmanuel take their respective places (driver and tracker) and, still thinking that I could have done with a few more of that deliciously warm banana bread, we drive off.
Liwonde National Park, a beautiful reserve traversed by the mighty Shire River, is a stunningly underrated place - in fact, Malawi is in its entirety. Liwonde, with its low, lush mountainy forests and wide floodplains teeming with game, dominated by towering palm trees, is an absolute gem of a place, particularly in the emerald season (pun very much intended). During the day, the luxurious vegetation radiates all the possible shades of turquoise and green, whilst as the days break, the bush is ablaze with fiery golden light. Mornings can be eerily misty, hauntingly beautiful as the fog enshrouds us and follows birds and mammals with wispy cloaks of silver.
“Malawi blew me away; Its lush mountainy forests and wide floodplains teeming with game, dominated by towering palm trees.”
That afternoon, every safari-goer was out on game drive... yet only filling 5 jeeps between the 3 lodges in the park. Had this been East Africa, indeed, our sightings would have been had a very different feel to them. But Liwonde’s luxury not only resides in its vegetation - it does so too in its tranquility.
Duncan takes us to the floodplain area, grasses high after a nourishing rainy season. In the distance, some waterbuck disappear almost perfectly within the thick bush. Elephants come out suddenly, a bachelor herd mock fighting - they’re all around us. But Duncan is focused, there’s something in the air, it seems, because he drives with intent. The other vehicles are also navigating the floodplain, like honeybees searching for pollen. He turns around and looks at us, ‘the cats are here’ he says simply.
“Liwonde reintroduced a cheetah population in 2016/17, and since then they have been thriving.”
Liwonde reintroduced a cheetah population under the management of African Parks in 2016, and since then they have been thriving. The day before we’d stumbled upon three subadult cubs chilling in the shade after a weak attempt to take down a waterbuck, and then an hour later, their mum patrolling the forest. Malawi is a sadly perfect example of what tends to happen when areas are stricken by poverty, illustrating how the need to survive, to feed families, and have a roof can be a driver towards environmental degradation.
Africa’s Warm Heart ranks among the continent’s poorest, and very similarly, saw its mammalian population depleted in the 20th and 21st centuries. Lions, cheetahs, and rhinos were reintroduced to Liwonde between 2012 and 2018, after African Parks started implementing a ‘people and nature’ approach to conservation, helping local communities in the surrounding areas to not only benefit from environmental protection, but to actively value healthy ecosystems.
The cats Duncan was on the lookout for were the same boys as yesterday, but as the sun started to descend in a glorious sunset, we guessed they’d be on the hunt. Emmanuel quietly scans the bush from his tracker’s seat, pointing towards the expanse of thickets between the floodplain and the forest. We’d been searching for an hour already, our pounding hearts almost louder than the car's rumbling engine.
“The forest was a backdrop of emerald and malachite, hues of purples reflecting against the bark of the baobabs and miombo trees. ”
The sky had become a fiery explosion of orange painted with saturated reds and dots of gold, the trees were now sporting golden leaves as the bush glowed amber. The canopy is ablaze, distracting us from our relentless observing and listening. We were almost racing against the light, though, and some jeeps have already abandoned in pursuit of other animals to find. Others have driven to the opposite end, but Duncan is adamant we keep searching here. I look around, very much aware of the luck we’d need considering the number of trees, terminate mounds, rocks, gullies, and the sheer scale of grasses that could be hiding them.
And then.
In a flash of movement, a herd of waterbuck gallop into the distance, tailed by 3 feline shadows. The only car there, we follow one of the small paths leading towards the commotion, though they were still far within the tall grass, it was hard to distinguish the action. It looked like the hunt was still half-heartedly ongoing, but their cover is now blown and the waterbuck are on alert, alarm calling and angrily shaking their heads.
What I was hoping would happen, happened. If we couldn’t see much through the dense vegetation, then the cheetahs most certainly couldn’t either, and one of the brothers decide to get high. Slight side-note: termite mounds make for wonderful vantage points. Safari jeeps, on the other hand, do not, and the lesser ethical safari guides will make full use of cheetahs’ appreciation of height for hunting - getting generous tips in return.
But back to our boy. His pelt shone of pure gold in the evening light, as he gracefully scanned the horizons for a few precious seconds. There’s something special about including the landscape within a wildlife shot. It narrates a more holistic story of ecosystem and symbiosis, of interdependence and reliance. And in this case, of the first cheetahs to pioneer Malawi’s new generation and legacy.
The light had completely faded by now, and we decide to leave them be, still ecstatic from our unbelievable encounter. Pulling out for sundowners overlooking the Shire River, we laugh together in euphoria, a sense of respite overcoming us all, even Emmanuel usually always so proper and quiet. The sky was pastel yellow, painted with deepening warm blues, the first stars shining bright in the dusk sky. Getting the bowl of crackers, I offer him some as we begin to chat. Born in Liwonde Town, his story is fascinating.
“A smile immediately lights in his eyes as he tells me of his passion for animals from a young age, inspired by his father who was a ranger. ”
His drive and talents helped him land a guide training scholarship in South Africa funded by Children in The Wilderness (CITW), a truly wonderful organisation helping children go to school, university and apprenticeships, making sure the next generation of decision-makers care for nature, their - our - home. Wilderness Safaris, the renowned safari company, founded CITW to sponsor children in 8 African countries in 2011. After his training in the Kruger, Emmanuel decided to come back to Liwonde, working for Mvuu Camp (managed by Central African Wilderness Safaris).
It was an honour to have Emmanuel as our guide, a really sweet and humble young man who was a damn good tracker too. Later on, as we gave Duncan a ride home on our way north, he told us how proud he was to have him as his assistant - which was huge considering he was the head guide at Mvuu.
Malawi blew me away. I met some of the kindest souls on the continent and stumbled upon breathtaking beauty at every corner. It was a privilege to witness the level of involvement vested in rebuilding a healthy socio-ecosystem in a country suffering from heightened poverty - a country that is one of Africa's jewels and that will hopefully regain its former natural glory. A country I know I’ll want to return to again and again.
Written by Alice Peretie. Photographs all by Alice Peretie