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Carnivores of Malawi
Not much is known about the spatial behaviour and conservation status of carnivores in Malawi, especially outside of protected areas.
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Malawi has exceptionally high rates of urbanisation and land use change, which threatens all wildlife including carnivores. The current conservation frontline is in our communities and unprotected areas which are experiencing the highest rate of environmental change.
Lilongwe City has a good network of green spaces and river corridors, supporting a population of urban spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta). However, conflict is frequent, often resulting in persecution, and extermination.
Our ethos
The core ethos of CRM is to promote human wildlife coexistence outside of protected areas rather than focus on creating a network of isolated fenced areas where animals and humans are separated. Key to this, is understanding both the ecology and resource requirements of carnivores occurring in anthropogenic habitats as well as the human dimensions and social cultural aspects of human wildlife interactions (HWI).
The core work of CRM is the Urban Hyaena Research Project, established in 2013. The project aims to assess the behavioural ecology and conservation biology of spotted hyaena populations living outside protected areas. Our research will not only provide information on carnivore presence, but also reveal diet, spatial behaviour and resources requirements to inform conservation and human wildlife conflict management.
Click here to find out more about the urban hyaena project or click on the carnivores below to find species profiles for carnivores that have been recorded by CRM in Malawi.
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IUCN status: Least Concern.
In Malawi the status of spotted hyaenas is fairly stable, especially within protected areas. However, they are often persecuted by farmers due to the threat they pose to livestock, and hunted in cities as they can pose of threat to people. In Liwonde, they are rarely targeted by poachers although some fall victim to snares and gin traps that are meant for other species.
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Population trend: Decreasing
Spotted hyaena
Crocuta crocuta
Chichewa: "Fisi"
Description: The spotted hyaena has a posture similar to that of a large, well-built dog with light brown fur. Each individual has their own unique pattern of dark spots. The head is massive with large, rounded ears. This is supported by a heavily built neck and fore legs, which are longer than the hind legs giving the animal a sloped look. The fur is short and the tail is bushy with a distinctive black tip. Females are generally larger than males and weigh between 67-75kg, in contrast to males weighing aroung 56-63kg.
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Social Behaviour: Spotted hyaena live in large clans ranging from 6 to 100 members! Uncharacteristically, clan members compete more and cooperate less than most social carnivores. Spotted hyenas live in a matriarchal society where the females are physically larger and more aggressive than males. Females will lead pack hunts, boundary patrols and combat against potential threats. Female dominance over males is best seen at a kill site, where the males are usually the last to feed.
Diet: Generally spotted hyaenas’ diet mainly consists of medium to large sized ungulates, such as impala, zebra and blue wildebeest. They will also take smaller mammals, birds, eggs, invertebrates, reptiles and even garbage. Although capable hunters, spotted hyaenas are efficient scavengers, using up to 40% more of an ungulate carcass than other carnivores, eating everything but rumen contents and horn bosses of larger antelope. However, deity and scavenging preferences are dependent on habitat and food availability.
Habitat: Present in almost all habitats including semi-desert, savannah, dense dry woodland, montane habitats and open woodland. They are usually absent from desert and rainforest.
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Threats: Spotted hyaenas are subject to human persecution outside of protected areas through culling, trapping and poisoning. Such activities can also occur within protected areas mainly due to wire snares intended for wild herbivores for bush meat. Authorities may order the killing of hyaenas within protected areas if they believe they are a threat to other species or to livestock. They are also killed, in some areas, for food, medicine or witchcraft. A further threat is posed by habitat loss caused by increased human settlement.
IUCN status: Vulnerable
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Population trend: Decreasing
Lion
Panthera leo
Chichewa: "Mkango"
Description: The lion is a muscular cat with a long body, large head, and short legs. Size and appearance vary considerably between the sexes. Males are easily distinguished by their manes , which varies between different individuals and populations. A full-grown male is about 1.8–2.1 metres long, excluding the 1-metre tail; he stands about 1.2 metres high at the shoulder and weighs 170–230 kg. The female, or lioness, is smaller, with a body length of 1.5 metres, a shoulder height of 0.9–1.1 metres, and a weight of 120–180 kg. The lion’s coat is short and varies in colour from buff yellow, orange-brown, or silvery gray to dark brown, with a tuft on the tail tip that is usually darker than the rest of the coat.
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Social Behaviour: Prides are often matriarchal that can be up to 40 individuals strong. Females will remain in their natal pride, however this is dependent on food supply within the territory. Males on the other hand always disperse. Being forced to leave the pride around two to three years of age, males will become nomadic until they are old and large enough to challenge a sitting dominant male for control of a pride. During this time males will often form coalitions, commonly between siblings, however records have shown unrelated males will join coalitions.​
Females do the majority of the hunting for a pride. Males will join on the hunt but stay back until the kill is made.
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Diet: Lions are generalist hypercarnivores. They primarily hunt on zebras, antelopes, gazelles, deer, buffalos, young giraffes, warthogs, wildebeest, young elephants, less frequently – on hares and birds. Lions can also scavenge on carrion when the opportunity arises; they scavenge animals dead from natural causes such as disease or those that were killed by other predators such as hyenas.
Habitat: Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick brush and dry thorn forest.
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Threats: Lions are often victims of indiscriminate retaliatory or pre-emptive killing that as a result of human wildlife conflict. Other threats include prey and habitat depletion as well as the isolations of small sub-populations.
© iStock 2022
IUCN status: Vulnerable
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Population trend: Decreasing
Leopard
Panthera pardus
Chichewa: "Nyalugwe"
Description: Leopards are a long and low-slung feline with short muscular limbs. Their spots are grouped in rosettes on the torso and upper limbs. Individuals tend to be darker and more closely spotted in humid tropics then in arid zones. Leopards are usually active the most from dusk to dawn, and during the day and part of the night will lie up in trees or under dense undergrowth. They’ve been known to range 15 miles (25km) in one night. According to genetic analysis, nine subspecies are recognized.
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Social Behaviour: Spotted hyaena live in large clans ranging from 6 to 100 members! Uncharacteristically, clan members compete more and cooperate less than most social carnivores. Spotted hyenas live in a matriarchal society where the females are physically larger and more aggressive than males. Females will lead pack hunts, boundary patrols and combat against potential threats. Female dominance over males is best seen at a kill site, where the males are usually the last to feed.
Diet: Generally spotted hyaenas’ diet mainly consists of medium to large sized ungulates, such as impala, zebra and blue wildebeest. They will also take smaller mammals, birds, eggs, invertebrates, reptiles and even garbage. Although capable hunters, spotted hyaenas are efficient scavengers, using up to 40% more of an ungulate carcass than other carnivores, eating everything but rumen contents and horn bosses of larger antelope. However, deity and scavenging preferences are dependent on habitat and food availability.
Habitat: Present in almost all habitats including semi-desert, savannah, dense dry woodland, montane habitats and open woodland. They are usually absent from desert and rainforest.
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Threats: Spotted hyaenas are subject to human persecution outside of protected areas through culling, trapping and poisoning. Such activities can also occur within protected areas mainly due to wire snares intended for wild herbivores for bush meat. Authorities may order the killing of hyaenas within protected areas if they believe they are a threat to other species or to livestock. They are also killed, in some areas, for food, medicine or witchcraft. A further threat is posed by habitat loss caused by increased human settlement.
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
Chichewa: "Mbulu"
© Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon
IUCN status: Endangered
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Population trend: Decreasing
Description: African wild dogs are medium sized (18-34 kg) dogs, with large black ears, and dark muzzles. Their short, wiry coat is coloured in blotches of yellow, grey, black and white and gave rise to the African wild dog’s scientific name of Lycaon pictus, meaning ‘painted wolf-like animal’ in Greek.
Individual African wild dogs can be identified by their unique coat pattern. Unlike the other canid species there are only four, rather than five, toes on the front feet.
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Social Behaviour: African wild dogs are highly sociable and packs are comprised of between 3 and 27 individuals. Within their packs, dogs of the same sex are closely related to each other but not to individuals of the opposite sex.
Outside of the breeding season, African wild dogs are nomadic and hunt their prey by cooperating closely in a group which enables them to hunt prey comprising antelope and ungulates much larger than themselves as well as ensuring their hunting success is much higher than that of other large carnivorous species.
The African wild dog has been classified among the most social of all canids and its vocal repertoire is one of the most complex in Canidae, with some sounds unique to the species.
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Diet: African wild dogs mostly hunt medium-sized antelope. Whereas they weigh 20–30 kg, their prey average around 50 kg, and may be as large as 200 kg. The victim is pulled to the ground and the group descends to feed; pups in the pack are allowed to eat first. In most areas their principal prey are Impala, Greater Kudu, Thomson's gazelle and common wildebeest. They will give chase of larger species, such as common eland and African buffalo, but rarely kill such prey. African wild dogs also take very small prey such as hares, lizards and even eggs, but these make a very small contribution to their diet.
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Habitat: African wild dogs are generalist predators and can occupy a range of habitats from montane forest to semi-desert and were formerly distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, absent only from the lowland forests of the Congo basin.
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Threats: The main threat to African wild dogs is habitat fragmentation, which increases their contact with people and domestic animals, resulting in human-wildlife conflict and transmission of infectious disease.
Lupulella adusta
Side-striped jackal
Chichewa: "Nkhadwe"
IUCN status: Least Concern
Population trend: Stable
Description: Side-stripped jackals have a much more blunt snout and smaller, rounder ears than other jackals. Their coat is light grey to tan in colour, with a white strip on its side. The tail is dark grey to black in colour with a white tip. The Canis with the most similar appearance is the black-backed jackal, and these two species are rarely found in the same geographical range.
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Social Behaviour: The side-striped jackal is known to occur in pairs and in family units of up to 6 individuals. Around a feeding site, gatherings of several jackals can occur. At present very little of the side-striped’s social system has been studied.
Breeding happens seasonally just before or during the rains. After a gestation period of 57-70 days a litter of 3-6 cubs are born. The preferred den sits are termite mounds, aardvark holes and hillsides but mothers will tend to use pre-existing dens.
Young are trained to be independent after a few weeks, usually being lured out of the den, rather than carried, with promise of the mother’s milk. Pups are usually quite independent after 4 months, already foraging by themselves, learning to hunt and finding the limits of their territory. By 6 months, they are proficient hunters but will still receive food and grooming from siblings and parents. Between 6-8 months, the pups will reach adulthood and will leave to establish their own territories.
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Diet: The side-striped jackal’s diet contains a combination of mice, rats, hares, invertebrates, fruit, seeds, birds as large as Guinea fowl, reptiles and carrion. They may also eat small quantities of green grass to aid digestion.
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Habitat: They can occupy a range of habitats including game areas, farmland and towns within the broad leaved savannah zone. The species tends to avoid open savannah as this presents too much competition with other jackal species and so sticks to habitats with denser vegetation.
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Threats: One of the biggest threats to side-striped jackals is being prosecuted for their role in rabies transmission and their supposed part in livestock killings. Although this is unlikely to have an overall effect on the population, indiscriminate culling through poisoning and snaring can affect local abundances.
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Serval
Leptailurus serval
Chichewa: "Njuzi"
IUCN status: Least Concern
Population trend: Stable
Description: A slender, lightly build cat with long legs and neck. Their colour varies from white to a golden yellow, which is adorned with black bands and spots. The head is small despite its large ears, which are black on the back with white patches. The tail is short, reaching only the hocks of its hind legs. Similar species include the caracal, African wildcat and small spotted cat. Weight is 10-kg in males and 8.7-12.5 in females; height is 67-100cm.
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Social Behaviour: Servals are solitary species. They have exclusive core territories with larger home ranges which are shared with other individuals, allowing for a mate to be found. Females will usually tolerate the presence of another female, but males will try to force other males away.
Servals are usually annual breeders, producing 1-5 cubs after 65-75 days of gestation. The breeding pair will hunt and rest together while the female is in heat. The male will have no influence on parental care. The female will move the cubs between hiding spots and bring them food, as well as suckling them.
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Diet: Diet is mainly made up of rodents. May also feed on birds, reptiles, insects and amphibians.
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Habitat: The Serval is quite habitat specific, having a dependency for water sources. They are found in well-watered savannah environments and are often associated with reed beds.
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Threats: The major threat to serval is the loss and degradation of wetland habitat on which it relies for food. Slash and burn of grassland as well as change in landuse from woodlands to farmlands are proving issues, as it lowers small mammal populations. In addition to this serval are hunted for their skins, which are valuable in many countries and often used for traditional cultural practices. Unjustified persecution for livestock loss is another reason for them to be hunted in many rural areas.
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IUCN status: Least Concern
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Population trend: Stable
Civet
Civettictis civetta
Chichewa: "Chombwe"
Description: The African civet is a medium sized animal usually weighing around 7 to 20kg. They have dense fur which is grey-ish in colour with black spots arranged in rows along the length of their body. Their legs and half their tail is solid black, the other half is banded black and white. Their faces are all black with exception to the white muzzle and black circles around the eyes, which can be used to identify individuals.
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Social Behaviour: Civets are relatively solitary animals. Sociality is only seen in breeding seasons, or mothers with young. There is little knowledge of civet territory behaviour, other than they hold and defend territories. Individuals will scent mark throughout their territory by rubbing their perineal gland on objects.
Civets make three types of sounds, a growl, a cough and a scream. These vocalisations occur when two individuals meet or while the individual is scent marking.
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Diet: Omnivirous diet. Feeds on rodents like the giant pouch rat, amphibians and small reptiles. Also feeds on eggs, berries, seeds and insects.
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Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats including woodland and bush habitats.
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Threats: The biggest threats to civet is human exploitation. Civets are commonly found in bushmeat or fur markets across West and Central Africa. They are also commonly used for their perineal gland secretions. Perineal gland secretions are used to make certain perfumes and has caused a need for civiculture (civet farming) in certain countries around Africa.
Genetta genetta
Chichewa: "Vumbwe"
IUCN status: Least Concern
Small-spotted Genet
Population trend: Stable
Description: Also known as the common genet, this species is very similar to the large-spotter genet but the spots are significantly smaller and has black bars on the top of its shoulders. A strip of long black fur along its mid-back can be erected into a crest. It has a ringed tail with a white tip. The muzzle is long and pointed, with black on the sides and white patches near the tip. White patches can also be seen under the eyes with stripes running to the forehead from the inner corners of the eyes. The ears are large with rounded tips. Generally less than 2kg in weight and around 94cm in length.
Social Behaviour: The smaller spotted genet can be found in woodland, scrub and fynbos. It can survive in arid areas and enters deserts via rivers. This genet is known to sometimes nests in roofs of buildings. The smaller spotted genet feeds on invertebrates, small rodents, birds, eggs, fruit, reptiles, crabs and even lesser bush babies.
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Diet: Feeds on invertebrates, small rodents, birds, eggs, fruit, reptiles, crabs and even lesser bush babies.
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Habitat: Can be found in woodland, scrub and fynbos. Can occur in arid areas and enters deserts via rivers. Sometimes nests in roofs of buildings.
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Threats: There are no major threats. Occasionally eaten by people and parts are used for medicine, or fashion. In some areas, urbanisation threatens to cause extirpation.
Honeybadger
Mellivora capensis
Chichewa: "Chiuli"
© Derek Keats 2022
IUCN status: Least Concern
Population trend: Decreasing