Hyena Conservation and NGO work

Human-predator conflict arises from competition over shared resources, habitat encroachment, and livestock predation, often resulting in significant economic losses, safety risks for local communities, and retaliatory killings of wildlife. Rapid human population growth further intensifies these encounters.

Due to overgrazing, deforestation, and the impacts of climate change, Tanzania increasingly faces water scarcity, drought, and expanding arid lands. At the same time, growing human populations contribute to habitat loss for wildlife. These factors, combined with livestock predation, lead to ongoing competition and conflict between humans and carnivores.

This volunteering program is conducted by an international NGO founded in 2021 that is dedicated to mitigating human-hyena conflict and promoting sustainable human-carnivore coexistence. The project is led by a veterinarian and supported by experienced local trackers and camp staff.

The NGO’s mission is to empower local communities while conducting research on spotted and striped hyenas. Its long-term goals include developing effective conservation strategies for carnivores and improving wildlife health.

Current project objectives include:

• Conducting a feasibility study to establish a conservation program for striped hyenas
• Determining hyena clan sizes
• Assessing hyena population density and geographical distribution
• Identifying hyena home ranges
• Mapping hotspot areas of human-hyena conflict
• Conducting community awareness workshops and environmental education programs at local schools

Your tasks as a hyena research volunteer

Activities for volunteers typically include a combination of project work and community engagement.

Project work focuses on wildlife research, monitoring, and conservation. Volunteers are involved in field-based research techniques such as camera trapping, track surveys, snare detection, scat sampling, photo identification, and habituation of wildlife to human presence and influences. Monitoring activities may include hyena clan monitoring, den-site identification, and the compilation of individual animal profiles. Volunteers also support spatial and ecological analysis through habitat assessments and mapping using tools such as ArcGIS or QGIS. In addition, the project provides training in data collection and data analysis, as well as opportunities to contribute to reporting, photo documentation, and social media activities that help communicate conservation outcomes.

Community service activities that benefit the local population complement the research activities. You can contribute by assisting with teaching at village schools or by helping to organize and carry out events in the surrounding villages. We also support local residents by helping with the repair and construction of bomas. A boma is a fenced enclosure used to protect livestock—usually cattle and goats—from predators at night. Bomas are typically built from thorn bushes, wooden poles, or fencing and are common among pastoralist communities like the Datoga. The term boma can also refer to the entire homestead or “village,” including several houses and their livestock enclosures.

During interactions with the local population, we also collect information in order to better understand local perspectives and challenges related to human–wildlife coexistence.

Other tasks include small maintenance work around the camp.

Please note that not all activities take place at all times, and involvement may vary depending on project needs, seasonal conditions, and community priorities.

Program schedule and free time

You will usually participate in activities in the East African bush from early morning until midday. During the hot midday hours, when most animals are inactive, you will have free time. It is recommended to bring your own entertainment such as books, a journal, or board games.

Volunteers usually have weekends off and can spend their time as they wish. Since all major national parks in northern Tanzania (Serengeti, Tarangire, Manyara, Lake Natron, and the Ngorongoro Crater) are only about 1 to 5 hours from Lake Eyasi, you can join weekend excursions and safari tours.