Lilongwe , Malawi ( CNN ) -- Malawi is in the midst of a population explosion . In 1966 , the country boasted a meager four million citizens . Today , that number hovers around the 15 million mark and could reach 37 million by 2050 . That 's a big number for a country half the size of the United Kingdom , and could spell trouble for indigenous wildlife . `` Animals know their range . They 're used to feeding and drinking ( in certain areas ) , and those features are still there in the mind of an elephant , '' explains Alex Chunga , a manager at Kusungu National Park . `` When an animal goes back to where it used to go , and suddenly there are people , those people feel the animal is doing something wrong , but in essence , it used to be their home . '' Each year , thousands of wild animals fall victim to human encroachment , poaching and the illegal pet trade . The Lilongwe Wildlife Center -- the country 's only accredited wildlife sanctuary -- is hoping to change that . They house over 200 animals and host educational tours for school children to get them into conservation early . Cast of characters . Every animal as the Lilongwe Wildlife Center has a story , and often , not a happy one . Take for instance Stumpy , a one-armed baboon who was found tied to a tree outside a butcher shop . Because he likely would n't survive back in the wild , the Center will be his home for the remainder of his life . Then there are the seven owls ( each since named after one of Snow White 's dwarfs ) who a local found on his roof and , fearing they were bad luck , almost killed them before someone convinced him to call them in instead . There 's also Xena , a vervet monkey who was kept as a pet and tied to a rope on the roof of a barn . As a result , she 's never interacted with other monkeys , and has to be trained to coexist with her own kind . `` This is a good site for animals who are not getting the proper welfare , '' says Yessiah Symon , Lilongwe 's head of animal care . Do they stay or do they go ? Lilongwe is partnered with Kasungu National Park , 111 miles outside of the reserve , to release some animals back into the wild . To qualify for release , an animal needs to have spent part of its life in the wild , or be young enough to adapt . It also has to be in good health . A lot goes into training animals to reintegrate into the world at large . For starters , there is a strict no-human contact policy . The subjects are also given predator awareness training . Once reintroduced into the park , some animals are then monitored by release managers to make sure they 're integrating properly . Conservation for the future . To further the cause , Lilongwe hosts thousands of school children each year . Last year alone , they received over 30,000 school groups . They teach the children respect for wildlife , and try and drive home the point that some animals -- like primates -- are n't meant to be pets . `` We 've managed to come up with various modules , from targeting biodiversity , soil management , climate change , and wildlife welfare , '' explains Clement Manjaalera , Lilongwe 's education manager . `` Inspiring youth to conserve nature , to look after animals and have respect towards these animals and also to take a leading role in these projects is important . It can be useful in helping them to have a sustainable livelihood . ''
Each year , thousands of wild animals fall victim to poaching . The Lilongwe Wildlife Center rescued over 200 animal victims . The Center helps rehabilitate animals back into the wild .