Being out in the field day and night at Londolozi gives you a direct look at the constant shifts within the ecosystem. Lately, there has been a very clear change in the air during game drives. Whether we’re tracking in the early morning or returning to camp after dark, we have definitely felt an increase in hyena numbers across the reserve. It might be a relatively small increase in the broader scheme of things, but it is an increase nonetheless, and the impact is certainly noticeable.
In the wild, there is a direct relationship between the presence of territorial male lions and the local hyena population. Dominant male lion coalitions act as a primary regulatory force, keeping hyena numbers and their confidence in check through constant territorial patrolling and direct competition. However, these dynamics are forever changing. At Londolozi, we recently moved through a significant transition in our dominant lion population that provided a uniq
For a long time, the Ndzenga males were the dominant force in the area. As their reign naturally came to an end, it left an open territory and a temporary lull in dominant male lion pressure. While the Gijima males have since arrived and firmly established themselves, asserting a massive presence across the heart of Londolozi, it was during that specific transitional period between the two coalitions that the hyenas took their chance.
In that gap, without the presence of a dominant lion coalition, the hyena clans grew in confidence. We started seeing them more frequently and in larger groups, moving more boldly through areas they previously avoided. This behaviour comes from a highly intelligent and social species capitalising on a shift in the hierarchy. Hyenas are an integral part of this ecosystem, and their ability to adapt to the absence of lions is a testament to their success as apex predators.
However, this increase in hyena density and confidence has created a very real challenge for our leopards. Leopards are solitary and rely entirely on stealth to protect their kills. With more hyenas on the landscape and their increased boldness, leopard kills are stolen on a more regular basis. Hyenas are experts at monitoring leopard movements, and with more of them patrolling the bush, a leopard has a much smaller window to feed or hoist its kill into a tree.
This pressure is most significant for mother leopards raising cubs. A mother needs a consistent supply of food to sustain herself and her young. When a kill is stolen by a hyena, she is forced to hunt again almost immediately to make up for the lost energy. This means more time away from her cubs and, in turn, a greater risk that those cubs will fall prey to predation. It is a tough cycle that makes the already difficult task of raising a litter even riskier.
Things are always shifting here at Londolozi, and it is exactly these changes that keep us so engaged as rangers. Watching the transition from the Ndzenga males to the Gijima males, and seeing how that ripple effect allowed the hyena population to find a foothold, is a reminder of how interconnected everything is. The bushveld is never static, and documenting these real-time adjustments in the hierarchy is what makes being out here every single day so rewarding.
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on Fluctuating Hyena numbers