Safeguarding Namibia’s Desert Phantom

The brown hyena is a rare and often misunderstood creature that quietly shapes the ecological story of Namibia’s coastline. Considered one of the country’s most secretive carnivores, it spends its nights scavenging across beaches, dunes, and riverbeds, leaving behind very few traces of its presence.

For decades, this species received minimal dedicated research or protection.

Yet its role as a scavenger is vital, redistributing nutrients across great distances, sometimes travelling up to fifty kilometres in search of food. This behaviour supports the functioning of Namibia’s fragile desert ecosystems.

A long‑standing conservation initiative supported by the Go Green Fund, a partnership between Nedbank Namibia and the Namibia Nature Foundation, has helped fill the knowledge gap surrounding this elusive animal.

Through a contribution of N$186 900, part of a larger project budget of N$1 978 000, the Brown Hyena Research Project embarked on one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken on the species between 2014 and 2018.

Using a combination of camera traps, GPS telemetry, citizen science, and non‑invasive genetic sampling, researchers began piecing together the hidden movements and behaviours of an animal that rarely allows itself to be seen.

By 2016 alone, nearly 178 000 camera‑trap images had been collected along Namibia’s coastline, while seven individuals from two clans were fitted with GPS collars to track their movements across vast and shifting landscapes.

Genetic samples taken from hair, faeces, and scent marks added further layers of insight, allowing scientists to estimate population size without disturbing the animals.

Site researcher, Marie Lemerle, reflected that this work matters because conservation cannot protect what it does not understand. For species like the brown hyena, which exist largely outside public awareness, a lack of data often translates to a lack of protection.

The project’s research goes far beyond numbers. It provides evidence that challenges outdated, fear‑based narratives about hyenas and informs more sustainable land‑use planning.

As human settlements, agriculture, and infrastructure continue to expand, wildlife is increasingly pushed into closer contact with people, making coexistence more complex.

Protecting biodiversity is becoming inseparable from protecting livelihoods, and this research has highlighted that addressing conflict requires collaboration, understanding, and a commitment to long‑term ecological stewardship.

This species recently received global attention when South African photographer Wim van den Heever captured a haunting image of a brown hyena in Namibia’s abandoned diamond‑mining town of Kolmanskop.

This photograph won the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year grand title. His image, titled Ghost Town Visitor, was taken after a decade of patient camera‑trap work and shows a solitary hyena emerging from the ruins of the once‑thriving mining settlement.

Ecological balance

The project strongly advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to UNSDG 15 (Life on Land) by protecting a near-threatened species and supporting biodiversity research. It supports UNSDG 13 (Climate Action) by preserving scavenger species that help maintain ecological balance in climate‑vulnerable desert environments, where nutrient cycling is critical to ecosystem resilience.

It also advances UNSDG 4 (Quality Education) by generating data and environmental awareness that support both scientific understanding and public education.

For Nedbank Namibia, this project reflects the deeper meaning of sustainability, one that goes far beyond corporate compliance or short-term environmental outcomes.

The bank has long been committed to environmental stewardship, with the Go Green Fund among its most impactful platforms for driving conservation, scientific research, and community education.

Through collaborative and evidence‑driven initiatives such as the Brown Hyena Research Project, Nedbank continues to reinforce its commitment to protecting Namibia’s natural capital and fostering long-term ecological resilience.

Reflecting on the bank’s involvement, Nedbank Namibia Chief Financial Officer, Victor Maengahama, shared: ’The Brown Hyena Research Project demonstrates why long-term environmental investment is so important.

Through the Go Green Fund, we are proud to support research that brings visibility to species too often overlooked in mainstream conservation efforts.

The recent global recognition of the brown hyena through award‑winning photography shows that the world is paying attention to Namibia’s unique biodiversity. Sustainability begins with understanding, and this project ensures that the knowledge needed to protect the brown hyena will endure.

Our commitment as money experts who do good, is to help secure a future where species like this are not just studied but truly safeguarded for generations to come.’

Ultimately, what makes this project powerful is not only the brown hyena itself, but the people dedicated to ensuring its survival, researchers, students, conservationists, and community members driven by respect for ecological balance.

Through their efforts, the brown hyena emerges not as a threat or an afterthought, but as a keystone species whose presence signifies the health and function of Namibia’s landscapes.