URBAN BIODIVERSITY

Urban wildlife in Lilongwe is thriving. There are healthy populations of carnivores, primates, antelope, bats and birds, all living right under the noses of the residents of Malawi’s capital city.

An urban environment provides a completely different biodiversity for these city dwellers, with unconventional food and habitats available compared to their counterparts in protected parks and other rural areas.

Lilongwe Wildlife Trust is supporting Conservation Research Africa (CRM) in their work to find out more about these urban populations, in particular urban carnivores. With hyaena, jackal, serval and genets all known to reside in Lilongwe, there are lots of research to be carried out looking into their behaviour, ranging patterns, diet and threats.

Our Wildlife Emergency Response Unit (WERU) has already assisted CRM in fitting a collar on one of the urban hyaenas to enable them to track and monitor their behaviour, and there are similar projects planned for the future.