The Government of Malawi and African Parks have just announced the signing of the agreement to expand their management of Liwonde National Park to include Mangochi Forest Reserve, a 320 km2 adjoining forest and water catchment area. This agreement marks a very exciting development of the expansion of Malawi’s premier wildlife reserve.

The signing took place between the Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, the Honourable Aggrey Massi and Patricio Ndadzela, Malawi Representative for African Parks, in Lilongwe, Malawi. African Parks has managed Liwonde, which covers 548 km2, in partnership with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) since August 2015. In just two and a half years they have achieved several transformative milestones in the revitalization of the park and its wildlife, making it an ecologically functioning area and a valuable source of socio-economic growth for local communities. Mangochi Forest Reserve is the fifteenth park in Africa and the fourth park in Malawi to be brought under the management of African Parks. Ecologically-linked to Liwonde, Mangochi Forest Reserve is critical to the long-term conservation of the entire landscape and expands African Parks’ management by 60% in this area.