On the Expedition

Help improve the odds for brown hyaenas and other wildlife in spectacular Pilanesberg National Park

Your team will explore protected and unprotected lands in search of wildlife, particularly brown hyaenas. From a vehicle or on foot, depending on the research site, you’ll conduct wildlife surveys looking out for not just the animals themselves but for footprints, droppings and other signs as well. You will also sample predators at night, playing tape recordings of their prey to attract them and conducting spotlight transects. Much of the work will take place within Pilanesberg National Park, which offers dramatic scenery in the remains of an extinct volcano. During your expedition you may also encounter zebras, impalas, white rhinos, elephants, wildebeest, lions, and leopards. In your recreational time, you may enjoy game drives, sundown drinks on the kopje (rock outcrop), and local cultural events such as drumming sessions.

Meals and Accommodations

You will be based at a field camp in the heart of Mankwe Wildlife Reserve, a classic bushveld landscape just east of the Pilanesberg massif. The reserve is home to white rhinos and a range of other endangered wildlife. You’ll sleep in either a small field station or a walk-in safari tent, each with its own shower and flush toilet. The camp has solar-powered lights and wood-heated water. Team members will share meals in a group dining area, with a local chef preparing international and local cuisine, including poitjiekos (game stew) and braai (barbeque).

About the Research Area

The project’s three study sites are all located within 30 miles of the Pilanesberg massif, northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The landscape is part of the Southern African Bushveld, a classic African savanna of mixed grasses spotted with trees. This savannah area covers the southeast corner of Botswana, southern Zimbabwe and northern South Africa.

Pilanesberg National Park was created in 1979 in the remains of an extinct volcano, providing a dramatically scenic park. The area covers approximately 50,000 hectares and is surrounded by an electric fence that prevents large mammals from entering or leaving the park. Here you will find mixed acacia trees and broad-leaved bushveld, ranging from thickets to open grassland patches. There is a large dam in the center of the park and several smaller permanent water areas scattered about.

Since the park’s creation over 6,000 individual animals have been reintroduced into the area. This includes all species that were thought to exist here before European settlers arrived, with the exception of the spotted hyena. Many large herbivores are seen regularly, including zebras, impalas, white rhinos, elephants and wildebeests. The park’s reintroduced predators include about 40 lions, 20 cheetahs, and a pack of wild dogs. Populations of leopards and brown hyenas were already present when the park fence was constructed and both populations are now thriving.