Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Born Free Programmes Director Alison Hood talks to Lee Stewart, Operations Manager and founder of the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre (LLWC) in Malawi.

How did you get involved with the LLWC?
Ten years ago I arrived at a small zoo in Zambia that had been left in a state of disrepair for over ten years, the animals languished in appalling conditions; they were being kept alive by a few local expatriates who used to take food in on a regular basis.  A two year commitment turned into an eight year stint turning it into a sanctuary and coming from a field research background it was a huge learning curve.  

Then in 2007 an opportunity arose with Born Free to join a project that would see a new breed of facility – somewhere that would care for rescued and confiscated wild animals with the aim of rehabilitating them and getting them back to the wild.  Lessons I had learnt from Zambia could now be taken to a new location and with the support of Land and Lake Safaris and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre (LLWC) was created.  

Why is this Centre important?
The Centre is piloting a new initiative with the Born Free Foundation called a People and Wildlife (PAW) Centre. Not only will PAW offer hope to many animals sitting in horrendous conditions and hope of a return to the wild, it will also look to address the People issues that relate to wildlife conservation.  How can we, as conservationists, expect to solve wildlife issues when people are needing to put food on their table, educate their children and access basic medical care?  LLWC is now working with 10 communities around the Centre;  trying to create small business opportunities for community entrepreneurs, opportunities to collect wood and medicinal plants from the Centre and support for domestic and farm animal welfare through a sister project, the Lilongwe SPCA.  How were these 10 communities identified? They were the ones most affected by the arrival of the Centre and its activities, i.e. it was where all the illegal wood collectors and poachers were coming from!!

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The job is never boring, everyday is different and you always feel at the end of the day that you have achieved something worthwhile…whether it was helping a sick or injured new arrival, helping an old timer that just needs a little TLC, helping to coordinate a rescue mission or ultimately help to coordinate a project that has seen a group of animals returned to the wild, it’s extremely rewarding and a job that is worth getting up for in the morning.  But it’s no holiday and it can be extremely stressful and frustrating; it’s long hours, in often sweltering heat and I in fact spend 90% of my time behind this computer but I’m not complaining, at least its not raining 340 days a year as it is back home (UK).

What sort of animals do you rescue – and how many has the Centre helped since it opened?
The Centre itself has probably rescued over 150 orphans in the past two years, a mixture of primates, carnivores, birds, reptiles and amphibians and there are many more out there that need our help.   The past two years have been particularly hectic but the speed in which the Centre has developed has been largely due to the support of a great team on the ground and the vision and financial support of the Foundation who I have now being working with for over six years now.  

You recently undertook the rehoming of some animals from a Christian Mission in Malawi – why was this so special to you?
All rescues are rewarding, but of particular relevance to me was the recent rehoming of a blue monkey and a baboon.  I’d first met these animals just over two years ago and through negotiation and working with the Born Free team, we came up with a plan to redevelop the old zoo at the Mission, rehoming the animals to the centre and we now plan to develop a special garden in its place.

And what are your plans for the future?
I am extremely keen and confident that PAW will be a success in Malawi.  Uniting the needs of the wild animals and people and looking at issues facing communities in an all encompassing way will aim to provide a better future for all.  Once we’ve completed the pilot programme in Malawi, I want to take the concept elsewhere in Africa and work to transform old zoos into similar rescue and rehabilitation centres. I have already started looking into this (a facility close to my heart), but that’s another story to tell some years from now…fingers crossed.