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# Reintroduced hyenas used dense cover, water—and roads only when human pressure was low
- URL: https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/2026-10-12-hyena-space-use-reintroduction/
- Published: 2026-10-12T21:13:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-12T21:13:07.000Z
- Description: Tracking five spotted hyenas in a fenced South African reserve links space use to vegetation, permanent water, prey and the timing of human disturbance.
- Author: Benjamin Worlund
- Tags: spotted hyena, reintroduction, Kalahari, movement ecology, Wildlife, Movement, Human disturbance, Carnivores, #ecological-intelligence, #brief-2026-10-12, #global-radar, #peer-reviewed, #geo-africa

Evidence

Peer-reviewed

Geography

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa

System

Semi-arid reserve / large-carnivore landscape

## WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS

Reintroduced spotted hyenas selected denser vegetation and areas near permanent water, avoided places without herbivores and waterholes near lodges, and used roads more under cooler or lower-traffic conditions. The study illustrates how ecological resources and human activity jointly structured use of a restored carnivore landscape.

## WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ

Reintroduction success depends on the spatial pattern of resources and disturbance after release, not simply on whether habitat is nominally protected.

## CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY

Only five reintroduced animals were studied in a fenced reserve without other top predators. The results describe space use in a particular reintroduction context, not a general habitat-selection rule for spotted hyenas.

## SOURCE

Journal of Mammalogy — primary field tracking study  
[View original evidence ↗](https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyag091?ref=intelligence.wildlandseco.com)

From the Morning Brief · 2026-10-12

[Read the full Morning Brief →](https://intelligence.wildlandseco.com/morning-brief-2026-10-12/)