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Lake Malawi Hippo Project
You will embark on a four-week project by boat to monitor and take part in activities to prevent the extinction of the hippopotamus, based along the southern shores of Lake Malawi. This is a truly unique way to explore the ‘warm heart of Africa’ from a perspective not available to many who travel there.
Project Age Limit
Minimum 17 years, maximum dependent on potential volunteers health.
The Volunteer Project
There are only two species of hippopotamus and both of these live in Africa: the common hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) and the pygmy hippo (Choreopsis liberiensis). The common hippo can weigh up to 3 tonnes, while the pygmy is, as its name would suggest, much smaller. The pygmy is a solitary forest-dweller, found in the rainforests of the West African lowlands. The larger species was formerly found everywhere south of the Sahara where adequate water and grazing occurred. Now the common hippo is confined to protected areas but still survives in many major rivers, lakes and swamps.
One of these lakes is Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa. Here hippos were in abundance until relevantly recent times before poaching and shooting (mostly due to crop conflict) dramatically reduced their numbers. An environmental organisation carried out four major expeditions along the shoreline of Lake Malawi between 2001 and 2003 to count and map the remaining hippo population. A previous census from 1989 indicated an approximate number of hippos in the lake to be around 3500. The 2001 to 2003 expeditions realised a massive reduction to around 250!
It was found that the majority of these last remaining hippos are in the southern area of the lake.
The Project
This is a four-week project where you will be taken by boat to monitor and take part in activities to prevent the extinction of the hippopotamus along the southern shores of Lake Malawi. You will be helping to contribute to the long-term survival of hippo in the lake.
The boat that you will board is a wooden 28 footer that was locally manufactured by traditional craftsmen. It has a wheelhouse and a shaded open seating area at the stern. It can accommodate a crew of 13 people and is equipped with full safety gear including fire extinguisher, life jackets, flares, first aid kit, emergency equipment, GPS navigation and a marine 29MHz two way radio (the ground support vehicle is also fitted with 29MHz radio). The boat is fitted with a reliable in-board Penta Marine diesel engine, which is well suited to the slow cruising speed needed for the expedition. There is also a smaller tender boat, which is towed along and used for transferring team members to and from the shore and also exploring shallower waters.
You will cruise about 150m from shore while taking turns, in small groups, to keep a constant look out for hippos. If spotted, the boat will stop and a count will take place and a GPS position recorded. Local fishermen and villagers will also be interviewed with respect to recent hippo sightings and behaviour.
The boat will continue to cruise along to your pre-arranged meeting point for the evening. The ground crew will drive the support vehicle and trailer to this point and set up camp. You will be camping at established lakeshore lodges as well as rough camps in local villages (with permission and payment to the local community).
Your Role as a Volunteer
You will be assisting in the achievement of the following objectives:
• To conduct monthly expeditions from Palm Beach in the south to Senga Bay on the western edge of Lake Malawi which will count and map all the hippos along the southern shoreline of Lake Malawi. The information will be relayed to an environmental organisation in South Africa and into a Geographical Information System (GIS) for later analysis. One years data is needed before seasonal numbers and movement patterns can be analysed.
• To protect any larger permanent pods encountered on the census if necessary and where possible. This will be done by establishing a community based eco-tourism campsite on the shoreline, observing and monitoring the hippos and putting protective mechanisms in place (such as establishing a sanctuary) while working with the local population. Note this is a long term objective and dependent on the availability of surplus funding.
• To conduct educational visits to local schools on the expedition route to educate them
about the important ecological role hippos play in the lake ecosystem.
• To experiment with the planting of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) trees as a barrier around crop fields. Jatropha has a toxicity that will hopefully deter hippos from entering the crop fields. Jatropha is being cultivated and used by an environmental organisation in the area to combat Elephant raids on village crops. The secondary advantage of this experimentation is that the seeds of Jatropha are one of the highest in producing oil, which can be utilised in the manufacture of Bio Diesel. Thus an economic value can be derived indirectly by the presence of hippos near the villages. Project Support
Throughout your stay in Malawi you will have the support and guidance of the project leader and the support team. The project leader is a qualified field guide and the rest of the team consists of an experienced boat skipper, assistant skipper, support vehicle driver and cook. They will provide you with competent assistance and help you with any questions or advice you may need during your project.
In addition, we will provide you with a 24 hour emergency contact number before you depart, so that you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Project Orientation
On your first full day, you will receive a comprehensive orientation by the project leader or one of the project coordinators.
The orientation will include:
• An introduction to Malawian culture and values
• Basic local language lessons
• Your health and safety whilst in Malawi
• Safety drills
• Money and transportation in Malawi
• An introduction to the area, the Hippo project and staff
• Local food and practices
• Places to visit and things to do in your free time
• Excursions available in the area Accommodation and Meals
For the duration of your programme you will be camping and will be required to supply your own tent, sleeping mat and sleeping bag. The cost of the project includes campsite fees and food. The team will camp at established lakeshore lodges as well as rough camps in local villages (with permission and payment to the local community). The ground support team will transport all of your luggage and camping equipment to each over night point. The ground support team will also be equipped with a field kitchen to cater for volunteer’s meals. Food will be basic as there are no fridge facilities on the project. Fresh food is usually purchased by the ground crew in local markets, whenever possible, to support the local community economies.
You will have the opportunity to upgrade your accommodation at any of the lodges and also to eat restaurant meals, but these alternatives are subject to availability and are at an additional expense.
If you would like further information or to secure a place on this project, please call the Africa Team today on 01892 516164 or email us at africa@realgap.co.uk
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