South Africa's Brown Hyenas

  South Africa

Johannesburg,  Rural Areas

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates.

Description: Research Mission:
Help improve the odds for brown hyenas in wildlife-rich havens and unprotected lands.

Situation Report
Pilanesberg National Park and neighboring areas, Northwest Province, South Africa -- The much-maligned brown hyena is actually a very social mammal that lives in clans, sharing baby-sitting and food-gathering duties. Like other carnivores, brown hyenas are suffering from shrinking habitats and conflict with humans. Protected areas are increasingly surrounded by other land uses, such as farmland and game ranches, where hyenas are poisoned, trapped, or hunted down as pests. Finding peace on lands outside of parks may be the only means for the survival of brown hyenas in South Africa, where there are fewer than 1,700. You can help Drs. Dawn Scott and Richard Yarnell assess the conservation value of areas with different levels of protection for a range of carnivores, with special emphasis on brown hyenas.

Meals and Accommodations
You will be based at an established field camp in the heart of Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, a classic bushveld landscape just east of the Pilanesberg massif. The reserve is home to a range of endangered wildlife, including white rhinos. Sleep in either a small chalet or a walk-in safari tent, each with its own shower and flush toilet. The camp has solar-powered lights and wood-heated water, but no available electricity. You will enjoy international and local cuisine, including poitjiekos (game stew) and braai (barbeque), prepared by a local chef and shared in a group dining area.

Highlights: You will explore a mixed landscape of private lands and wildlife reserves, including Pilanesberg National Park, a dramatically scenic park in the remains of an extinct volcano. Along the way you may encounter zebras, impala, white rhinos, elephants, wildebeest, lions, cheetahs, and leopard, as well as brown hyenas. Your team will conduct wildlife surveys from a vehicle, or on foot in areas outside the park, such as "spoor" transects for carnivore footprints and droppings. You will also sample predators at night, playing tape recordings of a prey distress call to attract them and conducting spotlight transects. In your spare time, you may enjoy photographic game drives, sundowners on the kopje (rock outcrop), and local cultural events such as drumming sessions.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. Teams have a minimum age of 18, unless accompanied by parent or legal guardian, in which case the minimum age is 16.

Cost in US$: 2,946

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees . . . people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives, and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: teen (16 - 18) and adult (18+) teams

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 16

Scholarships are Available. - Fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit www.earthwatch.org/education.html

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971