Tracking Hyenas in the Heart of Malawi

On more than one occasion I have found myself trudging through the bush, on the hunt for a rare animal we have little chance of finding. To some, this might seem very unexciting – to walk for hours and never find what you’re looking for. But then these people have never walked through the African bush in complete silence while on the lookout for dangerous animals that could kill you. Accompanied by a ranger with a rifle just in case you do encounter said dangerous animals and they decide they do want to kill you.
 Not unexciting in the least.

After my four months working as a wildlife rehabilitation assistant at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi, I was asked to come to Liwonde National Park to study a wild troop of vervet monkeys that were causing problems at a lodge there. I quickly discovered the cheeky and unique personalities of the vervets and saw first hand their ninja-like abilities at stealing food from the kitchen and even guests’ plates.

Lucky for me, on my days off, I got the chance to see more of the Park. My first walk through the bush there was with the rhino trackers, and I had my first sighting of a wild black rhino.
 Talk about goddamn incredible. Definitely one of my favourite wildlife encounters of all time.

Then, a few weeks later, I got another chance to leave the vervets for a day, this time to accompany the hyena project.
 Spotted hyenas are fascinating creatures. Just ask the staff at Carnivore Research Malawi (although I think they’re a little biased). With incredibly strong jaws, hyenas crunch through bone easily, allowing them to consume every part of their meal. And they’re not just scavengers, but are very efficient hunters too.

But my favourite thing about spotted hyenas is that they form matriarchal clans, with the larger females dominant over the smaller males. And don’t even get me started on their weird sex organs (you’ll want to google that one, promise!). 
Life as a hyena volunteer in Liwonde is simple. You sleep in large tents, take turns cooking and keeping the house tidy, escape the heat in the swimming pool, go out tracking with scouts, examine scats (yes, that’s poop), try to prevent monkeys raiding the kitchen and keep an eye out for hippos and elephants wandering through camp.

Ok, maybe not that simple. But who really wants a simple life, anyway?

Though there’s a schedule on the wall, working in a National Park can be unpredictable. Call-outs to villages come in regularly, reporting hyena sightings or even stolen livestock.
 Much of the work for volunteers is going out very early in the morning or late in the evenings and tracking the hyena population. During the day, camera traps need to be put up or checked on, den sites are monitored, tracks followed and scats collected. When I went out with them, we didn’t see any hyenas (this is common), but we did find a scat and tracks in recently dried mud. Checking a camera trap gave us some amazing footage of cubs playing. This alone was worth the walk in the morning heat. The research being done is important work and it’s satisfying knowing that you’ve contributed to that. Besides, there are more than enough animals around to keep your cameras happy!

The amazing thing is that in the last year both lions and cheetahs have been reintroduced into Liwonde, and while CRM were not directly involved in the reintroductions, if you visit the park you might have a chance to see them. It’s a fantastic achievement after both species were poached out decades ago. All the reintroduced animals are doing amazingly; there have even been a few adorable cheetah cubs noses seen poking about! To keep up to date with their progress, you should check out the Liwonde National Park facebook page.

While it seems as though the Liwonde volunteer project isn’t currently running (that I can tell), Carnivore Research Malawi also run projects in Kasungu National Park in the north (with leopards also) and an urban project in Lilongwe, which involves tracking the city’s urban hyena population as well as jackals and other small carnivores.

I’m so happy I got the chance to be a part of the hyena project, even if it was only for one day (I’m also glad I didn’t have to help set up bait for a camera trap site, because those carcasses STINK). The research-based project is completely hands-off and does great work keeping track of the carnivore populations in the park.

Plus, hyenas are frickin’ cool.

Practical Information:

• Check out CRM’s website for more information on their volunteer projects.
• Liwonde National Park is about a four hour drive south of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, and about two hours north of Blantyre, the other major city. International flights routinely fly into both, especially from South Africa and other neighbouring countries. Buses run to a non-existent schedule and can take over six hours due to many stops along the way.
• Mvuu Camp is the only lodge within the boundaries of the park and is therefore the only accommodation available. It’s location on the Shire River makes for stunning sunsets and very close proximity to all manner of wildlife.
• The nearest town is an hour away, and doesn’t always have the supplies you’re used to having at home. Stock up on toiletries and snacks, though a weekly run for groceries is normal.
• For any of CRM’s projects, volunteers need to be prepared for living in a remote area with little in the way of entertainment or amenities. During the dry season in Malawi it’s hot and dusty, during the rainy season it’s hot and humid and the insects can drive anyone crazy. Scorpions, snakes and spiders are a common sight, so it might not be the place for the faint-hearted. But those that do venture to the Warm Heart of Africa will have an unforgettable experience, that’s for sure.

Have you ever volunteered with wildlife before? What has been your favourite experience?

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