What is the skinny on Malawi? I have never heard anyone talk about hunting there.

I heard they cut down all their trees and overpopulated to the maximum extent possible. But that could be mere rumor.

Desperately poor and almost no game.

Regards,

Terry

I knew a guy that worked on a water project in Malawi that was also a PH. He claimed there weren't even any baboons there.

I enjoyed traveling through Malawi from Zambia to Tanzania a few years ago and although I had a great time on the beaches of lake Malawi/Nyassa I did not see any sign of Wid life.
I was only told storys of croc attacks during the wet season when the crocodiles move down the rivers to the river mouth's where the human population is highest.
The western border country with Zambia must hold game but I fear Malawi is turning into another India.

Malawi
Area=94,080 sq Kl
Population=12,158,942(July 95 Est.)

4x the population density of Zimbabwe
8x the population density of Zambia
40x the population density of Botswana
50x the population density of Namibia

As you might guess, not much game.

Jason

There is game in Malawi, but the little game that is left are all confined to a couple of small national parks. There is no real wilderness left in Malawi, but that is not to say that there are not nice places to visit there.

People are generally friendly too.

I would say that the media hype about poverty in Malawi is partially self created by the government to get more free money from the west. Just a couple of years ago, a large portion of food aid that was sent there, was transported onwards to Zambia where it was sold. This filled the presidents bank account nicely. According to quite a few ex-pats, and several diplomats we had contact with, the "crisis" was masterminded by the president with this in mind. The diplomats unfortunatly understood this after the fact...

Another reason for feeling that the poverty in Malawi is hyped up, is based on having seen all the way from north to south in Malawi that people are generally in far better shape when it comes to their health, cloths and apparent education then in many other african countries I've been in.

Back to wildlife, there is subsistence farming basically all over the country, which I guess for the locals is more valuable than wild animals. And with Malawi's limited size, I can understand that to some degree in this particular case.

Apart from the fact that there is no game, Hunting was banned in Malawi years ago. I applied to take my firearms in when I went there in 1988 and was told quite firmly NO.

The inference was bring them if you're happy to spend your vacation in Zomba Prison.

Super dense population, they coined the phrase 'Mango savannha'.

Had some mates doing anti-poaching work there in the late 1990's and as said above, most game confined to natl parks. Its a small country with its land size reduced by the lake and as mentioned a high population.

I did meet one hunter from there in 1993. He bought ammo from a gun shop I did part time work in. Showed me his gov issued license for 1 bushbuck, 1 duiker and 1 bushpig if i can remember correctly.

He said he and his mates simply drove the rural roads at night with a spot light and he used his .222 to brain what was on his license for the freezer. He could hunt (very limited) as he was a resident. Not sure if thats still the case. Read about some great trout fishing there a while back.

I have never travelled there but mates backpacked there and said the people/society etc were super friendly and very welcoming - world class tour kayaking on the lake. Relaxed, open country.......well know amongst backpackers for 'Malawi Cobs' - marijuana wrapped in corn leaves and bound with twine and dirt cheap......apparently!

Cheers