William Oscar Mgoola

Conservation of the African Clawless Otter, Malawi

William Mgoola searching for otter signs near fishermen's baskets, Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve. Otters have declined from the area at an alarming rate.

Survey team explaining and discussing the effects of riparian vegetation destruction with local communities.

Town/RegionCountryCategoriesDate
Vwaza Wildlife Reserve
Nyika National Park 		MalawiAfrica, Community, Mammals14 Aug 2000

Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve and Nyika National Park in Malawi have been designated as protected areas for over 20 years. These wetland regions support a wide range of biodiversity. However an increasing human population poses a threat to these areas through deforestation, illegal bushfires, drainage and overgrazing. The African Clawless Otter and the Spotted Neck Otter, both endangered in Malawi, are both greatly threatened by these activities.

This project seeks firstly to consolidate available data on the status of the otters, and to identify population trends. Identification of the major otter localities in the freshwater habitats will allow specific conservation measures to be put in place. Management strategies will then be formulated and implemented to ensure the long term survival of the otters and their habitats. Dissemination of information amongst the local communities will be a key part of the project work to ensure community participation in the conservation effort.

Project Update: March 2001

Surveys in the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve covered some 30km of river bank, while those in Nyika National Park investigated 45km. as otters are such secretive animals, the team generally used indirect observation ie searched for signs such as spraints, dens, tracks and food remains.In Vwaza, otters signs were recorded mainly in the marsh in the northern part of the reserve, and were very rare in the southern area. Threats include streambank cultivation, siltation and fires as well as competition for fish and crabs with local human communities.

In Nyika, there were far more signs of otter presence, probably due to habitat conditions here being more attractive to otters - good riverine vegetation cover, continuous water flow, little human activity on rivers and streams.Hence the team concludes that Nyika has high potential for the continued existence and survival of the clawless otter. Recommendations emerging from the study include:

(a) implementation of early burning regimes to reduce dry season hot late fires which are indiscriminately destructive;

(b) regular patrols to reduce fish poaching and introduction of a closed season fishing period;

(c) awareness campaigns among the local communities on the importance of conserving wetlands and their associated wildlife, and also about bushfire hazards and streambank cultivation impact.

Project Update: September 2001

Searching for Otters in Northern Malawi.

The African Clawless Otter and the Spotted Necked Otter are very seldom seen so our surveys have concentrated on seeking tell-tale signs along river banks and in the wetlands of the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve. Almost all the major rivers sampled so far have signs that indicate the presence of otters, and we have found most evidence of otters in the northern part of the protected area, where the dense flooded grassland is dominated by papyrus marsh with patches of bulrush and reeds.


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