Brown Hyena Research
AfriCat’s brown hyena research in the Okonjima Nature Reserve. It describes how brown hyena were rarely seen during cattle farming days and remained uncommon when the greater ONR was created in 2011, with only one individual collared at the time. Research began in 2018 with a camera trap density study that recorded 24.01 brown hyena per 100 km² and a simultaneous spatial ecology study of ten GPS-collared individuals that identified six clans and one nomadic animal. The studies were published in 2019 and 2020, with four more publications between 2020 and 2022. Research paused in 2020 due to Covid and resumed in mid-2023 with GPS UHF and LoRa collars, camera trap monitoring and den cameras. As of 2025, six brown hyena are collared, including three from 2018, with plans to collar more individuals.
In the days of cattle farming on Okonjima, brown hyenas were rarely seen. Even when the greater ONR was created in 2011, it remained uncommon to see brown hyenas and only one brown hyena was collared at the time. However, when brown hyena research in the ONR started in 2018 with a camera trap density study, a density of 24.01 brown hyenas per 100km2 was recorded; the highest density recorded to date for the species.
A second study implemented simultaneously sought to understand the spatial ecology of ten individuals fitted with GPS collars. The study identified six clans and at least one nomadic individual in the ONR. A mean home range size of 37 km2 was recorded, with 92% of the reserve utilized as brown hyaena home range. The studies were published in 2019 and 2020 respectively and a further four publications based on the two datasets were published between 2020 and 2022.
The brown hyena research was forced to stop in 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic. It was restarted in mid 2023 with the deployment of GPS UHF and LoRa collars on a number of individuals, the identification and recording of collared individuals from camera trap sightings and camera traps at brown hyena dens.
The collared individuals include a mixture of hyenas previously collared and ‘new’ ones. Currently (2025) we have six brown hyena collared (including three originally collared in 2018) and plans are in place to collar and enrol more into the research.
Clan and Movement Dynamics of Brown Hyena
This EarthRanger visualisation shows one month of GPS data from all collared brown hyena in the Okonjima Nature Reserve, illustrating their home ranges, movement paths and areas of spatial overlap.
Collaborative Papers
Enclosed reserves can protect wildlife but need careful management. A Namibia study found the world’s highest brown hyena density, showing small reserves can aid conservation but risk overpopulation.
Infanticide occurs in many mammals and is common in carnivores, but never previously recorded in wild brown hyenas. A new case documents the first instance and explores possible adaptive causes.
A Namibia study tracked 10 brown hyenas in a small enclosed reserve, finding six clans, one nomad, and unusually small home ranges covering 92% of the area. Limited dispersal suggests subadults may be ideal for translocation.
A study comparing camera traps and GPS radio-tags on brown hyaena found high overlap in activity patterns. Camera traps showed more activity at 00:00–06:00, mainly at den sites, highlighting the value of combining methods to understand behaviour.
A study of 1,582 GPS-recorded resting sites from nine brown hyaena found they rest mostly in core ranges, mainly in riverine and bush-encroached habitats, highlighting the need to consider debushing impacts.
Camera traps showed brown hyaena den activity differed between a protected reserve and a commercial farm, with diurnal activity in the reserve and more nocturnal activity on farmland, indicating environmental or human influences.