Impisi
'Project Impisi’ is a new and important study being carried out by the staff and volunteers at Askari Wilderness Conservation Programme. It involves the translocation of Brown hyaena from farming areas, where they are at risk of being shot and killed, to a conservation area and safe environment for them.
Below you can read the details of the research which is starting mid 2011:
Motivation
'Project Impisi' is a ground breaking study with potential implications for the improved conservation of brown hyaena, one of the rarest large carnivores in Africa. Never before has an attempt been made to monitor relocated brown hyaena so the Askari research aims to publish the first information of this kind about the translocation success of brown hyaena. Translocation is the ‘deliberate and mediated movement of wild animals from one part of their range to another’. It is a technique that has been used for many years around the world and has proved both successful and unsuccessful in reducing the damage caused by large carnivores on livestock. Data regarding the translocation of brown hyaena however is severely lacking and when brown hyaena relocations have taken place in the past, adequate monitoring was not carried out and the fate of most of the individuals is unknown. Askari now aims to change that with the valuable 'Project Impisi' research. The success or failure of the translocation could have important impacts for reducing hyaena/farmer conflicts and provide a possible option for brown hyaena conservation in the future. Volunteers assist with every aspect of the research contributing towards an important study with considerable conservation value.
An introduction to the brown hyaena
Members of the hyaena family perform an intricate role in most African ecosystems and are an essential component of a natural and functioning system. The brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea) is classified as ‘Near threatened’ (lower risk) by the IUCN. Population estimates suggest there are between 5000 and 8000 individuals remaining worldwide and numbers are suspected to be in decline. Large carnivores are generally regarded as flagship species on global and national levels and worthy of conservation efforts to maintain viable populations. This is not always the case on a local scale however as inevitable interactions with humans, often in farming areas, can lead to intolerance. Brown hyaenas, along with the rest of the hyaena family, are often the victims of both deliberate and incidental persecution as well as ignorance and often mis-informed humans. Their biggest persecutors are likely commercial stock farmers in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe who are intolerant of the animals that may prey on their goats, sheep and cattle. Although not as popular as other hyaenids, the brown hyaena is targeted for use in traditional medicines and rituals. However, deterioration of the quality of brown hyaenas wild habitat is likely to be the most important factor affecting their success.
The Research
The study covers two main areas (translocation and habitat use) and volunteers play an integral role in the research from tracking the hyaena (with telemetry) for data collection, to habitat and scat analysis. The research encompasses a wide variety of field techniques providing the opportunity to learn lots of new skills and be involved with hands on scientific research. The hyaenas used in this study were trapped by farmers and due to be shot. They were relocated to within the reserves safe boundaries and held in a predator boma which gave them time to adapt to their new environment and allow the younger hyaenas to reach a suitable age for release. Each hyaena was then darted and fitted with a GPS enabled tracking collar so its movements could be monitored. A mapping program is used to monitor the hyaenas movements but there is plenty of work to be done in the field as well. Very little is known about the habitat use of brown hyaenas in this part of their range. Herbivore counts and habitat analysis, combined with the hyaena movements will allow us to analyse which habitats the hyaenas are selecting. Work in the field and diet analysis will contribute to finding out why the hyaenas are selecting these habitats. Meso-predator demography monitoring is another important part of the research as we try to discover how brown hyaenas interact with or avoid the other predators around them.
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