Majete Game Reserve
| Majete Wildlife Reserve | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
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| Location | Malawi |
| Coordinates | 15°58′12″S 34°45′35″E / 15.97000°S 34.75972°ECoordinates: 15°58′12″S 34°45′35″E / 15.97000°S 34.75972°E |
| Area | km² |
Majete Wildlife Reserve is a national game reserve in Malawi. The reserve lies a few miles north of Chikwawa, with the Shire River forming its eastern boundary. The park consists of approximately 70,000 hectares of land and contains about 4,000 animals, including African elephant, common eland, plains zebra, African leopard, baboons, many species of monkeys, and warthogs. Large numbers of hippos and crocodiles can be found in streams and along the banks of the Shire River. In the 1980s, Majete suffered from poaching and deforestation. The elephant herds that used to be common in the area have largely vanished. Many animals have been re-introduced, including lions, black rhinos, and leopards. The park is now protected by a 142 km fence and may be the best place in Malawi to see the Big 5 animals. Majete is very dry and hot in the summer, and several man-made watering holes have been constructed to maintain the wildlife population.
Kapachira Falls on the Shire River is located near the park. David Livingstone's 1859 Zambezi Expedition came up the Shire but were unable to proceed beyond the falls. One of Livingstone's companions is buried in a well-kept grave near a prominent baobab tree not far from the Majete.
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