IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 9 Pages 1 - 16 (March 1994)

Citation: Kadongola, W.K. (1994) Otter Signs on the Islands of the Lake Malawi National Park IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 9: 5

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Otter Signs on the Islands of the Lake Malawi National Park

Winston Kalebe Kadongola

Lake Malawi National Park, P 0 Box 48, Monkey Bay, Malawi

INTRODUCTION

Lake Malawi National Park (LMNP) was established in 1980 and is the newest in the country. It is situated in the productive southern end of Lake Malawi which is the southernmost basin in the Great African Rift Lakes System. It contains the most diverse community of freshwater fishes (cichlids and cyprinids) in the world. Most of the fish species are endemic not only to Lake Malawi but to LMNP in particular. Besides the land mass which makes up the terrestrial part of the park in the Nankumba Peninsula, there are thirteen islands scattered all over the place. The park extends 100m from the shoreline of both the landmass and the islands into the waters. Almost entirely, the shoreline is rocky with very steep slopes and deep waters. The park was instituted primarily to conserve beautifully coloured, highly demanded, ornamental rock-dwelling cichlids locally known as mbuna. Besides the fish, the lake, and the park in particular, is also a good habitat of both Sub-Saharan Otters: the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis). This can be attributed to the purity of the water of the lake as well as the rivers in the lake's catchment area and the availability of both crabs and fish which form a good proportion of the otters' diets respectively.

OTTER SURVEY IN LAKE MALAWI NATIONAL PARK

The information available on the presence of otters in the park and Malawi as a whole is not systematic - most of it comes from fishermen who compete with the otters for fish and from visitors who come to visit the park. There has never been any otter survey for the country conducted before. These have been proposed and will be carried out whenever funds are sought. However, in the interim, the research team at LMNP has started surveying all the thirteen islands of the park in order to map out otter distribution and establish their relative abundance, and also find out seasonal variation in their behaviour within the park boundaries.

Preliminary results for the survey done in November, 1993 show a lack of dens on the islands. This can be attributed to the absence of suitable sites where dens could be made as the islands have a lot of rocks. The other explanation could be that the otters themselves do not need dens in such a habitat because there are a lot of empty spaces e.g. sort of caves between rocks which the otters use as dens.

As can be imagined, there are no sliding and rolling places. It may be assumed that they groom themselves on the rocks instead. It must be pointed out that the lake level has been very low - in fact the lowest for the past three decades (Fisheries Department Data) due to the 1991-1993 drought. As a result of this, some of the rocks that are now exposed could have normally been submerged. It will be interesting to find out what the situation will be like when the lake level picks up again with the rains now. The otters may be forced to move high up in the hills and may be they could make dens there, and have rolling and sliding places.

One other interesting feature to note is the scarcity of scats of Lutra maculicollis, yet it is more frequently seen than Aonyx capensis, which has its scats scattered almost everywhere on the rocks.

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