Community members are busy filling up animal pit traps that were dag by farmers.

A 30 km stretch piece of cultivated land which lies between Lake Malawi National Park (LMNP) and unprotected Phirilongwe forest (PF)) in Traditional Authority Mponda in Machinga District is a death zone of many unique, charismatic and endangered wildlife species . This stretch piece of land is used for settlement, cultivation of crops and rearing of livestock by some 13 farming communities. At the same time, the land is also being used as a natural living corridor for some charismatic endangered wildlife species which roam between the two areas in search for food, water, mates, shelter and suitable habitats for breeding.

Community members rehabilitating areas that were cultivated by farmers in readiness for reforestation.

However, wildlife species are horrifically being killed every day by local farmers through poisoning, shooting and trapping as they roam through the 30 km stretch piece of cultivated land. It is reported that wildlife species are being killed in revenge for the damage they cause to farmers’ crops and their livestock. This has led to loss of endemic, rare and endangered species of wildlife which may result in local and/or global extinction of some species as previous studies have revealed that 85% of the wildlife species being killed are in the category of endangered species (e.g., elephants, lions, wild dogs, wild cats and black rhinos) which are of global conservation concern according to the IUCN (2008).

The overall aim of this project is, therefore, to rescue the endangered lives of many traumatised and helpless threatened wildlife species through:

(i) relocation of the farming communities living in project the area;

(ii) promoting public wildlife education and awareness programmes;

(iii) establishing a safe wildlife corridor; and

(iv) advocating and lobbying for the gazettment of Phirilongwe Forest and the 30 km stretch piece of land to be part of LMNP protected area as this will help safeguard the endangered wildlife species from becoming extinct.