HYAENA RELOCATION: WAITING GAME
It’s now been a month since the intended hyaena release date and we’re currently waiting for the rains to come to an end and the roads to clear up. The rainy season in Malawi normally settles down in March/April, so, to be on the safe side, we’re now looking at April for the big day […]
It’s now been a month since the intended hyaena release date and we’re currently waiting for the rains to come to an end and the roads to clear up. The rainy season in Malawi normally settles down in March/April, so, to be on the safe side, we’re now looking at April for the big day when the road conditions should have improved immeasurably.
Being Africa’s most common carnivore, it is not surprising that the relationship between humans and hyaenas has become fairly tainted, particularly in over-populated areas where they are often seen as scavengers. Most issues of human-wildlife conflict are attempted to be tackled by means of conservation education within local communities, as there are often many benefits in having wildlife around. Carnivore Research Malawi have been conducting extensive research on urban hyaenas and have been working to dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings about hyaenas in local communities and reduce some of the fear associated with them. In the case of our urban hyaenas, however, the best solution for all parties involved seemed to be to give them a more appropriate home where there is copious food and space for them to roam away from people.
Find out more about the joint carnivore project here