AFRICA NATURE DIARY from @shumbahills – BLOG#2, Teeth & Claws, African spotted hyena Uncrowned Beast

 HYENAS have a bad reputation. They are regarded as ungainly, unintelligent, uninteresting and unattractive, and certainly unlovable. Most of Africa folklore story-tellers describe hyena as abnormal and treacherous animal which embodies magical powers. When some of people try to express their opinion about this animal they give me such words as “freak”, “stupid”, “demented”. It’s clear that Africa hyena has been hated despised down the ages and argued this was only natural because it’s such a coward! And never all the new-comings for African safari would wish to observe hyenas on first-come basis. And sure who cares about these unfortunate animals when there are so many noble and beautiful African carnivores like lions, leopards and cheetahs?   

I have some pics of my own to share with Steemians:

Spotted hyena.. just yawning - picture taken in Botswana in 2018

In this post I would like to attract your attention to the less-known sides of these truly amazing animals! They all have a strong personality and even demonstrate so uncommon behavior in some way that you will not likely remember the moment when you changed your mind and got started to be fascinated with the these creates.    

I was privileged to meet hyenas in different places and countries during my more than 15 years African odysseys. I would like to tell you about just only a few moments revealing the true and other more pleasant side of African spotted hyena.  

Myth #1. HYENAS are non-social and non-cooperative parents. 

The spotted hyena is mainly a nocturnal animal but a good observer can spot them during the day resting in a bush or in a ditch. And in fact the center of their clan life is a den. A clan (or a group of hyenas in other words) may consist of u to 80 members and you may see all the members together at a kill mostly. But from my personal experience it’s much depending on the area and general quantity of other big predators there. In some areas like parks of Botswana or Zambia hyenas are mostly solitary or live in very small group in number not more than 6-10 members. And in this very areas hyenas are always under the great pressure of other big predators like lions for example. And it gives us the pleasure to observe a very uncommon behavior. Just bear in mind that only the dominant female of the clan breeds. But in Okavango Delta, Duba Plains we met small clan of hyenas consisted only of two females and 4 puppies of different litter from both mothers. 

Two litters of different ages in the same den - Okavango Delta, Duba Plains - January 2018

Hyenas often hunt alone, up to 70 km from the den depending on availability of food. And the young wait at the den for their mothers to return and feed them. In this very case two mothers separated the duties – one of them looked after the puppies by the den while the other hunt - you may see it below

Mother hyena looks after the babies by the den - Okavango Delta, Duba Plains - January 2018

What made this moment the mostly exciting was the discovery of a sudden that this clan shared the same den with the family of warthogs! Just do remember that hyenas are great hunters (not being only a scavengers as always suggested), and in other circumstance hyenas will catch warthogs one by one in a moment. I should say that was the only case in my life when I see such amazing and peaceful neighborhood between a predator and it’s potential prey!  

You may see a warthog on the right side. This den has 2 entries, and two families (6 hyenas and 2 warthogs) share it in peace - Okavango Delta, Duba Plains - January 2018

 

Myth #2. HYENAS are unattractive and uninteresting beasts

To break the above-mentioned words all that you need is just have a look at these faces and poses! I’m sure you will suggest them to be very cute and relaxing ones). And believe me you will enjoy by staying by them for ages just watching and smiling) And spotted hyenas can make some amazing human-like cackles and hysterical laughs – and even at time unpredictable, but that makes them even more fascinating. Sadly it can not be given with photos.

 Sleepy and relaxing in muddy place - Selinda area in Botswana  - January 2018

and some more hyena "faces" from Botswana, January 2018

Who do not like these faces)

Myth#3. HYENAS are killers and deadly competitive with other predators of the same size. 

It is also a fallacy that the hyena eats only rotten meat or the leftovers from others predators kill. Mostly killed by lions. But as I told before hyenas are efficient hunters and more often than not, lions feed on their kills. Hyenas can reach a speed of up to 60km per hour and can follow their prey over many kms. Their whooping call, which starts on a low note and ends on a higher one, is a sound typical of the African night and has sent many a shiver down a visitor’s spine! But here I would like to share with you some moment, which was so special that no one from my colleges working in African park for ages never seen before. When I showed them my own picture that could not believe their eyes! It was seen this year in Madikwe park in South Africa. There were 2 unbelievable things about the case. The first one is that we have seen not only a spotted one, but even 2 brown hyenas together during daytime! I should say that brown hyenas are much smaller that spotted ones and they are very shy and skittish. 

Very old brown hyena approaching - Madikwe Park in South Africa - January 2018

And they are strongly solitary animals. But we have seen 2 browns at one place during daylight! The second point is that spotted hyena allowed one of the browns to share meal with her! Hence for some long time we were watching two different kinds of hyenas feed on the same buffalo leftovers face-to-face! Our guide of that game-drive told us that have never seen anything similar and even could not expected of such chance.   

Brown and spotted hyena feed on together - Madikwe Park in South Africa - January 2018

and 

the white-and-black version of this feeding below

I just hope that may be some of you will change your mind about African Beasts as we call spotted hyena. If not please come to Africa soonest possible to see all with your own eyes!    

To be continued!

Please follow to my earliest BLOG#1, AFRICA NATURE DIARY from@shumbahills here   https://steemit.com/travel/@shumbahills/africa-nature-diary-from-shumbahills-blog-1-hundreds-and-thousands-elephants-and-zebras-in-front-of-you-in-makgadikgadi-botswana