Protecting Elephants and Rhinos in Malawi

June 20^th marks the start of Earthwatch’s Animals of Malawi in the Majete Wildlife Reserve’s third year of exciting field research. This year, eight teams of up to six volunteers each will assist Dr. Alison Leslie with data collection throughout the summer and early fall.

Although Earthwatch volunteers may only participate on an expedition for a week or two, their efforts in the field forge critical links in an ongoing chain, with each team building off the previous one. For example, camera trap images captured in 2013 revealed that the park was home to many more spotted hyenas than originally estimated. As a result, teams in 2014 added more camera traps around the park to begin more in-depth hyena research, including identifying each hyena by its unique pattern of spots on its coat, determining how many clans (hyena social groups) have formed, the locations of their territories, and how the hyenas are competing against their lion rivals.

This diligent surveillance revealed the location of several active hyena dens – a first in the reserve. Volunteers in 2015 will continue to monitor the dens, assessing the health of the pups and documenting their interactions with their siblings and the adults at night. Their findings will inform the park’s management strategies around other carnivores and ongoing maintenance of the delicate balance between predator and prey populations.

Three new research objectives will also be introduced in 2015:

1. Using remote camera data collected in 2014, volunteers will begin to analyze elephant demographics to determine the home ranges of the various family groups within the reserve, as well as their habitat usage, impact on plant and water resources, and seasonal diet.
2. Develop a management plan for community based natural resource harvesting of indigenous thatching grass, reeds and bamboo.
3. Conduct reptile and amphibian surveys.

As you can see, 2015 should prove to be a very busy and wonderfully informative year! Thank you again for your ongoing support that makes long-term research like this possible. We look forward to sharing more results and updates with you later in the year.

With gratitude,

Heather Wilcox
Director of Annual Giving & Advancement Services
hwilcox@earthwatch.org
978-450-1208

P.S. Remember, you don't just have to read about this research from afar... you can be at the center of the action as an Earthwatch research volunteer! Please follow the link below to see which teams are still accepting volunteers for 2015.

Links:

• http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/animals-of-malawi-in-the-majete-wildlife-reserve