Hyenas
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Masai Mara, Kenya 2018
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2019
on the never disappointing Timbavati Road in the Kruger NP, South Africa
The world is like a book and those, who do not travel, only read the first page.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2022
I won't repeat all the things about Hyena's that I said the last time I posted one, other than how I have a newfound respect for these wonderful animals after seeing them in the wild and learning about them.
Hyena's definitely aren't heinous! This guy was wandering near a waterhole avoiding the family of elephants he was sharing it with, Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa.
(There is a link below if you missed my preaching about them on that last post and feel the need to start admiring Hyenas ;)
Fun fact: their favourite song is ... Ain’t no mountain hyenaff
The spotted hyena is a very social animal; however, its social system is openly competitive rather than cooperative, with access to kills and mating opportunities depending on the ability to dominate other clan-members. Females provide only for their own cubs rather than assist each other, and males take no part in rearing cubs. Spotted hyena society is matriarchal; females are larger than males, and dominate them. Spotted hyenas are scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators. But they are also skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2019
Lebala concession, Botswana
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
All rights reserved. © Thomas Retterath 2019
The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Hyenas live in territorial social groups which are dominated by females and can reach up to 70 members. The other species of hyena are the brown hyena and the striped hyena. The hyena is more closely related to the mongoose and cat than the dog.
Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,623 km2 in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km from north to south and 65 km from east to west.
South Africa, Kruger National Park
Please don't use my images without my permission. All images © Aivar Mikko.
Call me and tell me you care,
There's a country to flatten over there.
Don't bore me with the truth,
I live alone, don't you?
Write down the things I should say,
There ain't enough hours in the day,
Perfect my cold stare,
Tell your friends I did a dare.
But don't you understand?
The hunger makes the man.
With all that lies in front of us,
The world looks so ridiculous to me.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me now.
I love you, I love my black eye.
These knots I'll never untie.
They'll believe us in who we are,
There's history in a scar.
But don't you understand?
The hunger makes the man.
With all that lies in front of us,
The world looks so ridiculous to me.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
So laugh with me now.
Laugh with me now,
Laugh with me now,
Laugh with me now.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
Laugh with me hyena.
So laugh with me now,
Laugh with me some then.
Group of Hyena cubs taken lounging outside their den while mum was away for a while.The place is Gomo Gomo reserve in South Africa .Please try viewing pressing'L' thank you.
Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) running through shallow water. He and his pack were on the trail of a potential meal, a cape buffalo, that was killed the previous day. Amboseli National Park, Kenya, Africa. Conservation status: Least Concern
Pastel painting on Pastelcard, 21x32 cm
Credit goes to zoofanatic for his wonderful reference photo: www.flickr.com/photos/zoofanatic/14097506487/in/gallery-i...
Spotted hyenas are predatory mammals and hunt for survival. They prey on antelopes, wildebeest, hippos, lizards, fish, foxes, and insects. They also feed on eggs. The size of prey depends on how many hyenas are in a clan. The more members there are, the more confident they are about hunting down larger prey and a large clan can even take down a Cape Buffalo. Despite the bad rap they get as scavengers they are witty and courageous animals. I had them most nights around my tent in the Serengeti, the sides of the tent would even bulge inwards when one lay against it on the outside; easily identified by the sounds they made. Interestingly they are more related to felines than canines.
hanging around and investigating everything it finds near the family den in Mara North Conservancy in Kenya. In this case it has probably found a piece of skin or another leftover of a prey of the clan.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
gevlekte hyena
Hyène tachetée
Tüpfelhyäne oder Fleckenhyäne (
hiena manchada o hiena moteada
iena macchiata
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Fons Buts©2024
My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission
I always think hyenas are ugly and bad "guys" simply by having watched "The Lion King". The local guide said I was biased by Disney' unfair influence, and hyenas are actually very smart and loyal.
early morning at a den in the northern Serengeti in Tanzania.
Spotted Hyena
crocuta crocuta
gevlekte hyena
hyène tachetée
Tüpfelhyäne oder Fleckenhyäne
Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.
All rights reserved. Filip Buts©2018
Please do not use these photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without receiving our explicit permission.
This hyena was hanging out underneath a tree where a leopard had a kill it was eating. I think he was hoping for some scraps.
Brown Hyenas always are a special sighting, and we were very fortunate to have seen one during our recent Kgalagadi visit.
This image was captured in the wild.
Hyenas are one of Africa's top predators. There are three types, spotted, brown, and striped, of which spotted are the largest. In relation to their size, they have the strongest jaws of all mammals.
Because of their enigmatic nature, they have been the subject of folklore across different cultures.
There is a common misconception that they are primarily scavengers, yet most of their diet is made up from direct kills. With excellent night vision and hearing they hunt in organised groups called clans, and have been known to take down lions.
Like many carnivores, hyenas come into conflict with humans particularly when they prey on livestock. Because of this, they seen as pests, which often results in retaliatory killings, especially poisoning.
A further issue is, as with all wildlife as human populations expand, they are losing space in which to freely roam.
Water holes attract all manner of wildlife, often birds, but we watched this Spotted Hyena make its way to this one. It seemingly wasn't looking for a drink but somewhere to cool down as it eventually curled up in a ball and sat in the pool.
The foreground bird is a Blacksmith's Plover which was a very common sight on our trip.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
Juvenile Spotted Hyena photographed early morning against a colorful winter foliage.
Full frame
Kruger National Park.
Thanks for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. I really appreciate it very much.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
At sunset, near a waterhole occupied at the time by a bunch of elephants and the hyena couldn't get to the water. He must have been very thirsty as he was drooling.
Hyenas are famous for their scavenging abilities, but the Spotted Hyena is in fact a strong hunter too. Also known as the “laughing hyena”, Spotted Hyenas hold a bite so powerful that it can crush a giraffe’s bones!
The Spotted Hyena is the largest of the hyena family which also includes the brown hyena, the striped hyena, and the aardwolf. They have an unusual appearance due to their long powerful neck, uneven leg length (front legs are longer), and short thick yellow-grey fur which is covered in a spot pattern. A short mane of hair stands upright on the Spotted Hyenas back, creating a “Mohican” hairstyle for the hunter!
No! Every Spotted Hyena has a different set of spots, and this variety of patterns allows individuals to be recognised easily.
Spotted Hyenas can be found in a range of habitats within Sub-Saharan Africa. From semi-desert and savannah to woodlands and mountains, these strong mammals can survive as high up as 4100m! Currently, the largest populations lie within the Serengeti (Tanzania and Kenya) and the Kruger National Park (South Africa).
Unlike other mammals, the Spotted Hyena does not use a den for resting. Instead, they make use of shaded holes and pools during the day, and splash around in water holes to cool down!
As a predator, the Spotted Hyena eats the most meat out of all the hyena species. An average meal for these patterned creatures can include up to 14.5kg of meat! Typical prey consists of wildebeest, zebra and various antelope species, although if living near livestock they are known to steal a sheep or two! When scavenging, Spotted Hyenas can eat larger animals such as giraffes and elephants, and can even fully digest their bones.
Spotted Hyenas have been found to hunt and catch fish, tortoises and pythons in order to survive! It seems this intelligent species can escape hunger in many ways. Evolution has also allowed the Spotted Hyena to be very efficient in its water use, which is perfect for desert-living individuals!
The main rival for the Spotted Hyena is the lion as they live in similar habitats with similar prey choice. Often the Spotted Hyena can do all the hard work that leads up to a kill, only to be approached by a hungry group of lions who steal it away! Fights can break out in this situation, so Spotted Hyenas need to be always alert. If working in a group, they are capable of scaring the lions away.