In between City Centre and Old Town and alongside the Lingadzi River are 180 hectares of wilderness area, otherwise known as the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary. After the sanctuary fell into disrepair, a joint agreement between the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife has returned some of the area to its former glory. The new Lilongwe Wildlife Centre is Malawi's only sanctuary for orphaned, injured and rescued wild animals and plays an active role in conservation. Local residents include: a one-eyed lion rescued from Romania, bush babies, python, baboons, duikers, serval, blue monkeys and a leopard. The centre is considered by the UK-based Born Free Foundation, among others, to be a safe space for injured animals and for those that have been rescued from the bushmeat and wildlife trades, poorly kept zoos and private collections. The centre’s ultimate aim is to rehabilitate the animals for a life back in the wild and it has a strict no breeding, no trade and a non-essential contact policy. They also run an outreach program to schools.
You’re not allowed to wander around the centre on your own, but the entry fee includes a tour of the animal enclosures. This isn’t a zoo so you aren’t guaranteed to see any animals, but you will get to walk through a lovely wilderness area and learn about the centre’s aims and animal conservation in Malawi in general.
