Despite their dog-like appearance, hyenas are their own family in the carnivore order and of the four species in that family we saw two. The more common one was the spotted hyena which we found throughout Kenya and Tanzania. They live in social packs which diffuse over an area and then group up to hunt, so we would see them alone or in numbers up to the twenties.
Hyenas are also interesting in that they are a matriarchal animal where the female is in charge. And since they are in direct competition with lions for food and territory, the females are so full of testosterone that they were believed to be hermaphrodites by early Europeans.
We also saw striped hyenas on a single evening at
Lake Nakuru and while they have a rougher and wilder appearance than the spotted hyenas I have always felt that as a species they were branded unfairly by 'The Lion King' and cast as villains and thugs when they are really just a natural part of the hunter/scavenger niche of the savanna.
Hyenas are also interesting in that they are a matriarchal animal where the female is in charge. And since they are in direct competition with lions for food and territory, the females are so full of testosterone that they were believed to be hermaphrodites by early Europeans.
We also saw striped hyenas on a single evening at Lake Nakuru and while they have a rougher and wilder appearance than the spotted hyenas I have always felt that as a species they were branded unfairly by 'The Lion King' and cast as villains and thugs when they are really just a natural part of the hunter/scavenger niche of the savanna.
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