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By Rafieka Williams
Post-doctoral researcher Kyle Smith, from the University of Pretoria’s Zoology Department, is on a quest to find and expand the study of the African Striped Weasel.
His goal is to expand research on this underresearched species, in doing so, contribute to a deeper understanding of the natural world.
In August 2025, Smith issued a public appeal, asking citizen scientists and the wider public to help locate the tiny but lethal nocturnal predator as part of efforts to protect the species.
Speaking told Inside Education that the response had been overwhelming.
“I’ve been swamped by emails and messages of sightings — not always of striped weasels, but that is part of the project, to make people aware of the weasels and how to distinguish them from other similar looking species. The public response has been great and many other media networks across the country have joined in to help and share our request for sightings to the public.”
The African Striped Weasel is a slender, black-and-white mustelid with a white tail, measuring 27 to 31cm in length. It is often mistaken for the striped polecat. Though indigenous to South Africa, it can also be found across much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Smith believes that expanding knowledge about under-researched animals like the African Striped Weasel will eventually drive conservation efforts, ensuring they do not face the risk of endangerment.
“The striped weasel is not classified as endangered. We do not have the data or results, yet, to say that they are at risk of becoming endangered. This we will hopefully reveal at the end of the project,” he said.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 47,000 species of animals and plants face extinction in 2025.
Although sightings are rare, Smith has encountered the species before. In 2019, he recorded two individuals in the Knersvlakte region on the West Coast.
“I can’t reveal too much about the data we’ve collected thus far, but the inland regions of the Cape and the KZN midlands are where most of the sightings seem to come from,” he said.
His research involves both tracking and data collection, as well as engaging with local communities where the weasels may be living close to people.
“This research will hopefully allow for more research on mustelids in the future – a family that has not received much research attention in the past. With the success of this project, we hope to show other students and researchers a pathway to accomplish similar success with other elusive species that are not only limited to mammals,” Smith said.
His work will contribute to broader studies in zoology and conservation conducted by the University of Pretoria, Sol Plaatje University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
How you can help with the African striped weasel project
If you have information about sightings of African striped weasels, contact Kyle Smith via:
WhatsApp at 073 620 8517 or send sightings through to his social media handles on Instagram: @africanstripedweaselproject or @kylezoologist
Please include the following details:
The date and time of the sighting (at the very least, the month and year)
GPS coordinates or as precise a location as possible
Additional information includes:
Photographic evidence (regardless of quality)
Any other observations, such as sightings of prey caught, interactions with other species or, in cases of dead animals, speculations on the cause of death
GPS coordinates of burrows
Sightings include roadkill and other dead animals, as well as animals seen in neighbouring countries.
INSIDE EDUCATION
