Born Free

Category: Lilongwe Wildlife Centre | Date: Feb 02 2009 | By: bornfree

You may remember one of our blogs about a small baby Impala (antelope), named Mitambo.  He was rescued by the Wildlife Centre after we were notified by the National Parks of Malawi that he had been injured.  Our vet, Wendy, went immediately to fetch him for treatment.

When Mitambo was brought to the centre his leg was badly injured.  There were two breaks in his right front leg, one even going through his skin.  Wendy worked hard to keep Mitambo alive with a cast that allowed access to his wounds for routine checks while slowly nursing him back to solids, but we are sad to report that Mitambo did not survive.

It is always nice to read about happy endings to our rescue stories – we love happy endings – but it is a reality that some animals will not survive.  We believe Mitambo’s leg was injured by a poacher’s trap and unfortunately poaching and the illegal pet trade are a significant problem in Malawi. 

The Wildlife Centre itself is a great place for the rescued animals, but the centre extends beyond that by educating visitors.  Children and adults learn about poaching, illegal pet trade, deforestation, and conservation while on tours of the centre.  We believe these problems can be combated through education.

Please send your donations to help our continuing efforts in educating the public about the dangers threatening wildlife on a daily basis.

Tags: impala, Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Malawi, poaching