Liwonde National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Malawi.

Liwonde National Park offers good wildlife viewing. The most common antelope are impala, waterbuck, bushbuck and greater kudu; more localized species include Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, roan and sable. Elephant, buffalo, warthog and hippo are common along the Shire River. Of the recently reintroduced species, lions are most likely to be seen, and they’re almost invariably heard at night. Cheetah, black rhino and African wild dog are also possible.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeNone

HippoAbundant

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraOccasional

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoOccasional

LionOccasional

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahOccasional

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

The highlight of any visit to Liwonde is a boat trip on the Shire River. Aside from the birdlife, hippos are abundant and giant crocodiles can be seen basking on the floodplains. Elephants regularly come to drink on the banks of the river, and waterbuck gather in good numbers on the shore. Away from the river, look out for lion, cheetah, black rhino, plains zebra and sable antelope. This is one of the few parks where bushpigs are seen in daylight hours with some regularity.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Dry season (May to October) is the best time for wildlife viewing in Liwonde, with ideal conditions from July to October. During these months, wildlife is easier to see as much of the vegetation has died back, and animals gather around the Shire River, a big feature of the park.