Reintroduced hyenas used dense cover, water—and roads only when human pressure was low
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 ↗
Tracking five spotted hyenas in a fenced South African reserve links space use to vegetation, permanent water, prey and the timing of human disturbance.
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