Spotted hyaenas are among Africa’s most adaptable large carnivores. Highly social, intelligent, and resourceful, they play a central role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Yet, along the borders of protected areas, hyaenas frequently come into conflict with livestock owners. Retaliatory responses often follow and rarely differentiate between species, contributing to declines across the carnivore guild, including African wild dogs, cheetahs, and lions.

This project is a collaborative initiative between Botswana Predator Conservation and the Beasley Lab at the University of Georgia. Our aim is to better understand the movement patterns, behaviour, and resource use of spotted hyaenas in a relatively undisturbed ecosystem in the Okavango Delta, and to evaluate how olfactory deterrents may reduce livestock depredation in human–wildlife interface zones. Doctoral researcher Rohan Wadhwa is deploying novel conservation technologies, including GPS tracking collars with on-board activity sensors, LoRaWAN communication networks, and thermal imaging systems. Combined with systematic field observations, these data will allow us to establish a detailed behavioural and spatial baseline for hyaenas living with minimal direct human pressure, and will enable us to evaluate the effects of the deterrents. We also aim to draw meaningful comparisons with populations living in more human-impacted landscapes.

A central component of the study is the testing of 3M3MB, a promising scent-based deterrent developed by Dr. Peter Apps through the Bio-Boundary program. By analysing behavioural and movement changes before and after exposure, we aim to determine how olfactory deterrence can serve as a practical, low-cost, and ecologically benign tool for reducing conflict. The outcomes will guide wildlife managers, policymakers, and livestock owners in developing non-lethal coexistence strategies, helping ensure that hyaenas and the broader carnivore community continue to thrive alongside people.