Wild dogs at Liwonde National Park have been found dead due to an alleged water poisoning.

Liwonde National Park Manager, Dave Robertson confirmed that 18 African Wild dogs known as Lycaon Pictus have been killed.

Authorities said, the poisoning is believed to have been targeting birds and not the wild dogs and the animals are suspected to have been poisoned from a small waterhole near Mwalasi River.

A statement from African Parks indicated that some of the wild dogs were among 14 African wild dogs that were translocated from South Africa and Mozambique to Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve, in a move to reintroduce this Endangered species to Malawi in July last year.