Wildlife of Malawi

It is bordered on the west by a narrow plain, above which the land rises steeply to form high plateaux, generally between 900 and 1,200 m (3,000 and 3,900 ft) above sea level.

Temperatures rise from September until the beginning of the rainy season in November, after which the climate is warm and wet until April after which it becomes cooler and dry.

[3] The western part of the country lies in the Southern Miombo woodlands ecoregion, characterised by tall trees with a lower storey of shrubs and grasses.

[4] The natural vegetation of much of the low- and mid-level areas of Malawi is a form of deciduous forest and shrubland known as Zambezian and mopane woodlands.

Similarly, Acacia / Combretum woodland has largely been depleted, but larger areas of rainforest remain at mid to high altitudes, especially in the north of the country.

[3] The high plateaux are clad in low grasses, heathers and heaths, with many flowering plants blooming after the rainy season.

The people living in rural Malawi are mostly subsistence farmers; they do not appreciate their crops being trampled and eaten and will hunt or drive off wild animals.

[6][self-published source] Elephants, lions, leopards, African buffaloes, hippopotamuses and rhinoceroses are present in the country but their numbers are low except in national parks and game reserves.

Smaller predators include mongooses, genets, civets, striped polecats, honey badgers, spotted-necked and African clawless otters.

These include the African catfish, various species of carp, and a small sardine-like fish present in large shoals which are caught by trawling.