Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve (6671)
Malawi, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1c, B1
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: -12.8725, Longitude: 34.0350
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 500 to 1638
Area of KBA (km2): 1778.50199
Protected area coverage (%): 99.99
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve was first proclaimed a Forest Reserve in 1935 and attained game reserve status in 1954. It is Malawi’s oldest and largest Reserve covering approximately 180, 000 ha (1,800 km2) and characteristically dominated by miombo woodlands. The Bua River, the second largest in Malawi, cuts across from the west, entering the Lake Malawi 18km after exiting the Reserve. The river provides important undisturbed breeding grounds for the lake’s endemic salmon fish, Opsaridium microlepis. In 2015, the Malawian Government invited African Parks to sign a long-term agreement to manage the reserve and assist the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in restoring the protected area. Since then, African Parks has initiated a number of conservation projects especially infrastructure development and the historic wildlife reintroductions. Throughout 2016 and 2017, in one of the largest wildlife restoration initiatives to take place, 500 elephants and 2,000 other animals were introduced to Nkhotakota, followed by further introductions of 800 animals in 2022. Over 300km of electric fence was erected prior to the reintroductions, six fully-fledged ranger camps, a set of 18 fence-monitor pickets and a Park management headquarters built.
The Reserve is an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Africa (No. MW 009) and contains two key species of global conservation concern, the Taita Falcon and the Black Stork.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance due to its unique combination of geographically restricted species and critical habitats for threatened wildlife. Two species trigger a KBA in this site, Loxodonta africana (African Savanna Elephant) triggering A1c and Asystasia malawiana triggering A1b and B1.
Additional biodiversity: Nkhatakota Wildlife Reserves hosts several other species that are either residential or migrate to the site during a certain time. These include; Zebra, African Clawless Otter, African elephant, African buffalo, Spotted-necked otter, Leopard, Taita falcon, Red-footed falcon, Bateleu, Crowned eagle, Southern ground hornbill, Martial eagle, Northern fiscal, Asian woolyneck, White-backed vulture, Coqui francolin, Bagrus meridionalis, Aulonocara blue orange, Aulonocara guentheri, Copadichromis virginalis, Oreochromis karongae, Rhamphochromis esox, Rhamphochromis longiceps, Opsaridium microlepis, Opsaridium microcephalum.
Manageability of the site: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is currently being managed by African Parks Network who hold a management agreement with the Department of National Parks and wildlife
Delineation rationale: The boundary of the site aligns with the boundary of the wildlife reserve, as established in 1954
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is dominated by wet miombo woodlands covering over 80% of the landscape. The reserve has montane forest restricted to Chipata Mountain. Riparian/riverine vegetation is found along the Bua river that passes through the reserve
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 90 | Forest – Subtropical/tropical moist lowland |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Illegal gold mining, tree cutting for timber and charcoal;
Poaching for meat and fish
Fire, often lit by illegal resource harvesters, including gold miners and poachers
Hemp cultivation inside and the fringes of the reserve, particularly north of the reserve.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Darbyshire, I. & Rokni, S. 2021. Asystasia malawiana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T187005488A187005601. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T187005488A187005601.en. Accessed on 28 November 2024.
Gobush, K.S., Edwards, C.T.T, Balfour, D., Wittemyer, G., Maisels, F. & Taylor, R.D. 2022. Loxodonta africana (amended version of 2021 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T181008073A223031019. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T181008073A223031019.en. Accessed on 28 November 2024.
EAD & MUST. 2022. Malawi Spatial Biodiversity Assessment, version 2.0. Mapping Biodiversity Priorities Project, Lilongwe, Malawi.
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0981b455e3204502af61fdbb3a6d2400/page/Ecosystem-Threat-Status/
Contributors: Tiwonge Gawa, Malawi University of Science and Technology
David Namoto, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, African Parks