Africa Misconceptions

Beyond Simba:

Broadening Our Perceptions About Africa’s Wildlife

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY NICO HEYNING

When you think about Africa, a specific image may come to mind. I certainly had preconceived notions about the continent before traveling abroad to study wildlife management and conservation in Tanzania and Kenya, East Africa. When people think of Africa, they often think of hakuna matata from The Lion King or the great kingdoms of Egypt. However, let’s set these stereotypes aside. First of all, instead of hakuna matata, use hakuna shida. It’s more commonly used than the westernized hakuna matata. Secondly, Africa is much more than these two examples, which don’t even scratch the surface on how complex the organisms and ecosystems are. Focusing only on The Lion King or Egypt means neglecting the complexities of the different cultures, histories, and wildlife species in Africa.

Wildlife conservation is important everywhere, Africa included, but it is a complicated field. Conservation work requires an understanding of the wildlife, ecosystems, and social and political stances in an area. Sometimes, we try to make conservation a black-and-white problem, where it is really a spectrum. Understanding the human and wildlife aspects helps researchers, local communities, and governments make sustainable choices that benefit all parties. In order to understand wildlife, we must focus on all organisms, not just the most visible. Most people associate Africa with the Big Five: lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalos. Although these creatures play important roles, it’s important to learn about lesser-known wildlife, from the smallest gecko to the waterbuck.

Birds in Africa play critical roles in both tourism and the ecosystem. Around 14% of Tanzania’s gross domestic product (GDP) is generated from tourism, with the industry employing around 460,000 Tanzanians annually (1). One major aspect of ecotourism is birding, which involves individuals tracking the number and species of birds seen on a particular day. While studying abroad in Tanzania and Kenya, I documented 85 species of birds, ranging from the small Blue-capped Cordonbleu to the largest bird in the world, the Common Ostrich (2).

Besides being an underrated aspect of African wildlife, these birds also play important roles in their ecosystems, serving as pollinators, seed dispersers, and predators. Sunbirds fill the same ecological niche as hummingbirds in the Americas, pollinating a vast array of plants (2). The Secretary Bird can kill venomous snakes and other reptiles by stomping on them (3). Martial Eagles predate on small and large antelopes by grabbing them and dropping them from great heights (2). These organisms, along with the classic carnivores, help keep herbivores in check.

Close your eyes and think about hyenas: chances are the unintelligent, ugly joker hyenas from The Lion King come to mind. Spotted hyenas and other members of the Hyaenidae family have had a bad reputation over the years due to poor portrayal in popular culture. While I was in Africa, these were some of my favorite animals. Hyenas are complex animals, socially, behaviorally, and anatomically. Efforts are currently being made to understand the social and behavioral aspects of hyenas, which are poorly known. A misconception about hyenas is that they have a completely matriarchal society. Research in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania has shown that although female hyenas have social dominance over males who immigrate to the clan, spotted hyenas inherit their rank from their mother, meaning that a male can be in a socially higher position than a female (4). However, the structure of the hierarchy can change with the birth, death, migration, and immigration of new hyenas.

Their social structure isn’t the only complex aspect of hyenas; their reproduction is also unique. Female spotted hyenas have a fused urinary and reproductive tract, meaning that they have a psuedopenis that can become erect, preventing unwanted mating (4). Although there is still more information to be learned from these animals, the myth that they are unintelligent is far from the truth. The perception of hyenas doesn’t do the creatures justice when examining their complicated anatomy and social structure.

With over 9,000 species, reptiles are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates in the world. Reptiles disperse seeds and other vegetation, predate on organisms, and are a food source for larger creatures, making them keystone species in the ecosystem (5). However, they are poorly understood and documented throughout the world, especially in East Africa (6). In East Africa alone, the number of new reptile species discovered has increased by around 26% in the past quarter century (5). While I was there, we conducted research about the herptile (reptile and amphibian) species in Yaeda Valley, Tanzania. Over the course of a week, we found 28 reptile species and 2 amphibian species, reflecting a small portion of the reptile diversity of the area. What made our work

unique were three small gecko species. Currently, there is no known description of these species in any scientific database, leading us to believe that they could be new species. Further documentation of reptiles is desperately needed for future research. The understanding of reptiles and their role in the ecosystem is vital in order to help protect the environment. Each organism occupies a niche that is important to the stability of the environment, so if a whole class of animals were to vanish, then the environment could lose stability and crash on itself.

The aforementioned Big Five animals are highly soughtafter in the tourism industry. They are also some of the animals most threatened by illegal hunting. Poaching has negatively impacted populations of elephants and rhinos, a fact that has spurred many organizations to raise money to stop poachers from taking these animals. Although this is good, commercial poaching (poaching aimed at elephants and rhinos) is only one component of the larger problem that is poaching. Poaching doesn’t only affect the Big Five but also greatly affects smaller organisms. Every creature is vital to its habitat, but when research and conservation efforts focus too much on the Big Five, smaller creatures can be left vulnerable.

In western culture, there is often a simplistic perspective that views poachers as bad and elephants as good. Poaching is more complicated than that narrative, and multiple perspectives needed to understand the situation more clearly. When I was in Tanzania, I had the opportunity to speak to two bushmeat poachers, who kill wildlife for food consumption. These men hunt smaller ungulates (hoofed mammals) like lesser kudu and impala to feed their families or to provide another source of income. Though it is illegal to hunt wildlife in Tanzania for consumption unless you are a member of the Hadzabe Tribe, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer societies, opportunities for sustained income can be hard to come by for many groups of people. Thus, some turn to other trades to gain money, whether that be in the form of bushmeat poaching, environmental poaching (taking of sand or wood for stone-making and fire), or commercial poaching (taking animals for money).

Ultimately, the people hurting animal populations the most are usually hundreds or thousands of miles away. Probably the biggest problem with poaching is the demand for the wildlife products. The use of wildlife for medicinal or other purposes is a major contributor to the decline of wildlife around the world. Finding ways to limit the demand for wildlife products can dramatically benefit these animals. Additionally, promoting local conservation efforts is another key way to help local communities and wildlife. Finding ways to provide a stable income to families through wildlife can help reduce poaching and finding means to end the demand for poached animals can be more beneficial to the organisms themselves.

Conservation is an intricate subject that requires an understanding of the organism, the environment, and local people. The actions by one lead to consequences for others, whether it be decreased tourism income or declining animal populations. Understanding how it all connects allows for better decisions that not only help wildlife and ecosystems, but also promote sustainable usage of the land and the search for solutions to end social issues like poverty. If conservation efforts are based on inaccuracies and misconceptions, they can greatly hurt local communities, even if intentions are good. So let’s get away from The Lion King and form new opinions about these very complex issues.

I’m not saying that donating to organizations like the World Wildlife Fund is bad or The Lion King is a horrible movie. I like how people care about these animals and The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie. However, if you want to really understand African conservation, go online and learn more about the issues around wildlife ecology and poaching. Read about how the implementation of chili fences help prevent elephant-human conflicts. Learn more about the diversity of birds and reptiles in Africa. Go visit a zoo, but spend as much time at the hyenas as you would have at the lions and try to figure out their social structure. If you have the opportunity, go to Africa; it changed my life forever. I’m forever grateful for the students and local community members who welcomed me into their homes and lives. They helped me learn that it’s okay to be uncomfortable and that I should be open to finding friendships no matter where I am or how long I will be there. My time in Tanzania and Kenya made me think differently about how I view the organisms, ecosystems, and people that call these countries home. Asante sana rafiki (Thank you, friend).