The Land Rover rumbled down the dirt road, grassy plains stretching in every direction. “Heavy traffic today,” our guide said, as he indicated yet another spotted hyena.
We had actually been coming across hyenas every few minutes, each one running down the center of the roadway. Hyena traffic. They were headed to the same location we were: the popular Serengeti wildebeest migration.
The spotted hyena is a bizarre monster, however the majority of us acknowledge it from regular looks in nature documentaries. We understand it, or most likely, think we do.
Did you know the spotted hyena is simply one of 4 hyena species? The other 3 species are much less studied, often much less noticeable and much less understood.
With their “laugh,” unusual look and differed diet plan, hyenas are among those animals that create false information, myth and legend. Lots of consider them awful. They are frequently considered less “honorable” than predators like the lion and cheetah. Consider their representation in The Lion King, where hyenas are drooling, dumb dolts, worthy just of residing in a wasteland.
That wont do.
They bear a superficial similarity to pets, hyenas arent canines. Theyre members of their own family, Hyaenidae. Lets take an appearance at the 4 species of hyenas.
A young spotted hyena in South Africa. © Luc Stadnik/TNC Photo Contest 2019
Found Hyena
When many of us envision a hyena, its the spotted. Their celebrity status also leads to a typical understanding: that hyenas live by stealing victim killed by lions and other predators.
Identified hyenas do undoubtedly practice this habits. Numerous research studies have verified that spotted hyenas in the Serengeti and elsewhere get most of their calories by hunting big prey.
In other environments– like Ethiopian cities– they consume mainly trash, carrying out important sanitation services.
2 spotted hyena going after one another. © Zweer de Bruin/ Flickr
Identified hyenas reside in big maternal-led clans; their social life deserves its own blog. They have areas, but as the book Carnivores of the World notes, they will endure other carnivores going through their territory. This is most likely what I witnessed in the Serengeti: other hyenas relocating to make the most of the portable feast of the wildebeest migration.
While hyena clans can be large, the majority of hyenas hunt and scavenge singly or in big packs.
Across cultures, there are superstitious beliefs around spotted hyenas, causing a lot of persecution. When theyre scavenging, they can be prone to being caught in poachers snares. In spite of this, spotted hyenas persist.
On safaris, they can typically be seen in daylight, specifically in prey-rich locations like Kenyas Masai Mara and Tanzanias Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. I likewise discovered that they are often seen at sunset and dawn around wildlife lodges and camps.
A brown hyena in South Africa. © flowcomm/ Wikimedia Commons
Brown Hyenas
Found in southern Africa, the brown hyenas variety overlaps with the spotted. However few will see one, either on safari or on a nature program. Even where it is typical, the brown hyena exists at low population densities. It is practically exclusively nighttime and is a solitary forager. This makes identifying one tough.
The brown hyena is a bit smaller and hairier than a spotted hyena. These hyenas roam desert areas, frequently covering considerable ranges in look for carcasses to scavenge. Despite its more harmless appearance, it will go after other cat types (like cheetahs and servals) far from kills. Spotted hyenas will chase after off brown hyenas.
A brown hyena trotting. © Bernard DUPONT/ Wikimedia Commons
In a recurring style for hyenas, it is typically maltreated. In this instance, the misconception is that they prey on animals, although their predation is restricted.
I saw lots of brown hyena tracks and adequate evidence of their scavenging at the Cape Cross fur seal nest on the Namibian coast. Brown hyenas live in greater densities near fur seal nests.
No brown hyenas showed during my check out. However it stays among the best places to see this species. Serious mammal watchers and safari lovers also have luck at South Africas Pilanesberg National Park, and numerous Kalahari reserves.
A striped hyena. © Marian Herz/ TNC Photo Contest 2019
Striped Hyena
This is the only hyena species that ranges outdoors Africa; it is also discovered in the Middle East, India and into main Asia. In spite of its large range, it is also the least studied. Its nocturnal habits and cryptic routines have likewise most likely resulted in some misperceptions.
This has actually led to an oft-repeated concept that the striped hyena is a solitary types. A recent research study making use of cam traps discovered that striped hyenas really have a complex social structure.
Striped hyenas primarily scavenge the carcasses of large mammals, however they too are really opportunistic. In Asia and northern Africa, they frequently live on the edge of human settlement and will change their feeding appropriately. They will likewise stuff in fruit orchards and veggie gardens.
Their habits make them difficult to see in the wild. Checking near known den websites is frequently the best approach to see one (however please ensure you or your guide dont interrupt the den). The best chances in Africa are reserves like Kenyas Samburu and the private Laikipia, specifically throughout night safaris. They are likewise discovered in Kenya, with some photographers having luck around Ndutu.
Specialty wildlife trip operators in India often have terrific success with striped hyenas, especially via night safaris and scoping out known dens. Reserves in the Little Rann of Kutch likewise use excellent sightings.
An aardwolf in South Africa. © Derek Keats/ Wikimedia Commons
Aardwolf
The aardwolf looks the least “hyena like” of the household; it more looks like a pretty fox. Its diet is also rather different: the aardwolf feeds practically specifically on harvester termites. Unlike other termite feeders like the aardvark, it doesnt dig and dismantle termite mounds. Rather, it licks the pests off the surface. An aardwolf can consume up to 300,000 termites in a night.
Does this innocuous behavior spare aardwolves from the human wrath directed at other hyenas? No, it does not. Following a dismal theme, the aardwolf looks like a predator, so its persecuted like a predator. They are often blamed for animals predation, and eliminated during projects intended at jackals. The spraying of insecticides can likewise deprive aardwolves of termites, resulting in hunger or reduced reproductive success.
Still, the aardwolf is relatively common in eastern and southern Africa. It is largely nighttime and this is an animal to find on night safaris. I saw a number of on a private reserve near Kimberley, South Africa, while searching effectively for aardvarks.
Even animal fans frequently think about hyenas to be less charismatic than other types. Our understanding of the hyena as an ugly scavenger also suggests its susceptible to human hatred and ignorance.
Associated Articles
Numerous research studies have actually verified that spotted hyenas in the Serengeti and in other places get many of their calories by hunting large prey. Throughout cultures, there are superstitious beliefs around spotted hyenas, leading to a lot of persecution. Discovered in southern Africa, the brown hyenas variety overlaps with the spotted. The brown hyena is a bit smaller and hairier than a spotted hyena. Spotted hyenas will go after off brown hyenas.