Lilongwe Sights

Nature Sanctuary

#1 of 41 things to do in Lilongwe

#31 of 7381 things to do in Africa

2 reviews | Write a review

Good for: Families, Couples, nature, walking, lunch

  • Address
    • Kenyatta Rd Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary Area
  • Price
    • admission USUS$0.50
  • Hours
    • 08:00-16:00 Mon-Fri, 08:00-12:00 Sat

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Lonely Planet review for Nature Sanctuary

The Nature Sanctuary is an incredibly peaceful wilderness area by the Lingadzi River. Take a taxi here though; it's not safe to walk. There is a signposted network of walking trails, and the information centre lists the birds and animals that may be seen. There is also a small, and rather unpleasant 'zoo' area, which consists of a few precarious looking cages filled with mangy-looking hyenas, monkeys and crocs.

 

Traveller reviews for Nature Sanctuary (2)

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    Try Lilongwe Wildlife Centre instead

    jessicatravel1234 recommends this,

    Yep. The nature sanctuary closed down years ago. Try Lilongwe Wildlife Centre on the over side of the road. I took my family there last November and had a really nice day out, we saw Bella the lion, the crocs and lots of cheeky monkeys! They also had an adventure playground that the kids enjoyed. Nice place to spend an afternoon.

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    The nature sanctuary is now closed and has been replaced.

    jerrine recommends this,

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    The nature sanctuary has been replaced by the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. It was set up in 2007, in conjunction with Born Free, as a People and Wildlife Centre, the first of its kind in the world, taking over a 120 hectare wilderness area right in the heart of Malawi’s capital city. Not only is it the sole wildlife sanctuary for orphaned and rescued wild animals in Malawi it is also a centre for the people, operating extensive
    community outreach and education programmes.

    Thanks to generous donors and energetic volunteers, the wildlife sanctuary began to take shape. The old Lilongwe Zoo was closed down, and the animals rescued from their small cages and re-homed in large enclosures where they could roam freely. Animals like Bella the lion also arrived from other zoos around the world where they were being kept in appalling conditions.

    There have been some fantastic achievements at the Centre within the last couple of years – there’s the rescue and rehabilitation of hundreds of animals including lion, leopard, antelope, baboons and crocodiles. The sale of wild animals on the side of the roads in Lilongwe has now been eradicated thanks to local campaigning. The PAW (People and Wildlife) clubs in 12 of the poorest communities are fully supported by the chiefs and officials, with whom we have developed various income generation projects and we even have support from the UNDP and City Assembly for our city wide afforestation project plan.

    The new centre is open 7 days a week for the public. Facilities include a guided tour to learn more about what they are doing and also see the animals. There is also an adventure playground, 100 hectares of beautiful pristine woodland with extensive walking trails, a gift shop bar and restaurant.

    How to find it: Located between Old and New town on Kenyatta Drive. If coming from Bisnowaty Filling Station, head straight across the traffic lights, over the bridge, and we are on the right hand side as you come up the hill. Look out for their large sign! They have a car park.

    It is currently one of the top recommendations for Lilongwe in the printed Lonely Planet guide.

    Good for: Families, Couples, nature, walking, lunch, tourists, conservation, gifts, education, locals, adventure, Friends, animals

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