The Majete Reserve is notable because it contains what is called the Big Five. The four reserves are the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, the Majete Wildlife Reserve, and the Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve. The top animals in Malawi can be found in its national parks and its reserves. Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Malawi Still, the gazelle is prey for a variety of animals including cheetahs, hyenas, lions, leopards, crocodiles, baboons, wild dogs, pythons, and even birds of prey. This behavior is supposed to let the predator know that the gazelle will be hard to catch. They also practice an action called pronking, where they bounce into the air with all four legs held stiffly. While escaping predators, it often runs in a zigzag which is hard for the predator to follow. It can reach speeds of between 50 and 60 miles per hour. The Thompson’s gazelle is also known for its great speed. One is the Eastern and the other is the Serengeti, with the Eastern Thompson’s gazelle being larger. There are two subspecies of Thompson’s gazelle. The colors of the coat range from light tan to reddish-brown and a band of black runs diagonally up from the upper part of the front leg to the upper part of the hind leg, and there are black markings on the rump. These animals can be told from other gazelles by their distinctive coat. The horns are beautifully ringed and curved on both sexes.
The male also has bigger, longer, and more robust horns than the female. The male gazelle is a bit larger than the female and weighs between 44 and 77 pounds, while the female weighs between 33 and 55 pounds. This small gazelle stands about 24 to 28 inches high at the shoulder, which is about the same height as a bloodhound. It is found not only in Malawi but Kenya and Tanzania and other countries with grassland and savannas. The official national animal of Malawi is the beautiful Thompson’s gazelle, or “Tommie.” This is a common gazelle, which is a type of antelope. Other animals include reptiles and insects, including hundreds of species of butterflies and moths. Besides its hundreds of fish species, Malawi has 187 types of mammals and 648 types of birds.
Another important geographical feature of the country, which shares borders with Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania, is the Great Rift Valley. Many of these species are found nowhere else on the continent. Much of the country is actually made up of Lake Malawi, which is home to some of the country’s 500 fish species. Malawi, a landlocked country in Africa, is blessed with an abundance of wildlife. We currently track 222 animals in Malawi and are adding more every day! Below you can find a complete list of Malawian animals.