Catherine Bérénice Chantal Hauw
Lead contamination poses a severe and persistent threat to wildlife, ecosystems, and human health. In Southern Africa, top predators and scavengers, such as hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and jackals, are particularly vulnerable due to their feeding habits, which expose them to lead fragments from spent ammunition in carcasses and contaminated food sources. This project investigates lead exposure in these mammalian carnivores, aiming to understand the extent of contamination and their role as bioindicators of environmental health.
By analyzing lead levels in bone, blood, and organ samples from both wild and captive individuals, this research will provide critical insights into how lead moves through the food chain. Scavengers, which consume gut piles and carcasses left by hunters, are often the first to be affected, making them key indicators of lead prevalence in the environment. Likewise, apex predators, which bioaccumulate metals through the trophic chain by hunting contaminated prey, can reveal long-term exposure patterns.
Tracking for Conservation – Fitting Verona, a wild hyena, with a GPS collar to monitor her whereabouts and identify key habitat locations critical for her survival. ©Cedric Vandenschrik.
This study adopts a One Health approach, recognizing that lead exposure in wildlife also signals potential risks to human populations—particularly rural communities that rely on bushmeat or live near contaminated ecosystems. The findings will contribute to conservation strategies, inform policies aimed at reducing lead ammunition use, and support the broader movement toward lead-free hunting practices.
By highlighting the hidden dangers of lead in the environment, this project will drive awareness and actionable change, safeguarding not only Africa’s iconic predators but also the health of the ecosystems and communities they inhabit.