These 2 posed so nicely for us in the morning sunlight.....
Continuing on with the '5 Facts' theme, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the spotted hyena next, after all being the arch enemy of the lion.
- Hyena are highly social, living in clans of up to 80 individuals. The females being much larger out rank any males, with 1 female being the dominant leader. With the rest all fitting in with a strict hierarchy, even the young cubs will out rank the males. A female cub automatically inherits its moms rank in the clan.
- Outside males are allowed to join the clan by following an induction ritual whereby they show submission to all clan members over a few week period. Once accepted, they will out rank all resident males. This will give them first mating rights, thereby bringing new genes to the clan and avoiding closely related family members from inter breeding.
- They are renowned scavengers, using smell, watching for vultures and even hearing the noises of a new kill to find food. Despite this reputation, they are accomplished hunters, killing 75% of their own food.
- They can sprint at 60km/h, but use stamina to run down their prey, maintaining speeds in excess of 40km/h over 4-5kms. Their prey eventually dies of shock and blood loss.
- They have a series of different calls, grunts and yelps, but it is the distinctive whooo-oop and their giggle or cackle that they are known for. The latter being used when feeding or being chased off a kill, giving them their other name 'The laughing Hyena'. The whooo-oop call is very easy to pinpoint suggesting it is used to inform of an individuals location.
Cheers.
