Help Launch Mkango Wildlife Services in Malawi!

I am helping raise money for the launch of Mkango Wildlife Services, the first dedicated wildlife veterinary private practice in Malawi!

Malawi, one of Africa’s smallest and poorest countries, has one of the highest population densities - exacerbating pressure on land resources and wildlife habitats. In addition, Malawi has one of the highest proportions of protected land areas with over 10% allocated to national parks, wildlife reserves and smaller privately owned reserves.

Run by Dr Amanda Salb and Dr Laston Chimaliro, Mkango Wildlife Services’ primary goal is to help support these protected areas along with the neighboring communities by supporting wildlife management and alleviating human-wildlife conflict. Together, they specialize in wildlife management activities like collaring, transmitter placement, and conservation relocation of wild animals. These activities directly assist wildlife managers in establishing and maintaining wildlife populations in protected areas across Malawi as well as help communities interface with wildlife by responding to human wildlife conflict calls and wildlife disease surveillance.

Dr Amanda Salb is originally from the United States but now is a proud permanent resident of Malawi. She has been working with free-ranging wildlife in Malawi for the past 9 years. Dr Laston Chimaliro hails from Mulanje, in Malawi’s Southern Region, and is currently based in Lilongwe. Together, they have worked on many threatened species including elephants, black rhino, lions, hyenas, and many ungulates such as zebra, waterbuck, sable, and nyala.

Mkango Wildlife Services is in need of some start-up funding to help them achieve their conservation goals! This work requires them to be a fully mobile clinic, they are therefore in need of a good field vehicle, a dart gun, a microscope and a variety of other field equipment such as a spotlight for nocturnal captures. We are hoping to be able to have the equipment purchased and in place by the start of the field season in July – when it’s dry and thus easiest and safest for wildlife captures. We appreciate any and all support to help get this one-of-a-kind veterinary practice that will contribute directly to the conservation of wildlife in Malawi up and running!

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Jane