Species name: Spotted Hyena
Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta
Weight: Male: ±60kgs - Female: ±80kgs
Shoulder Height: Male: ±70cm - Female: ±90cm
General Habitat: Savanna
Diet: Carnivorous - eating meat and bones, particularly the bone marrow.

Here at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, we are so lucky to have a high number of apex predators, which in turn brings us a heathy number of Spotted Hyena. It is not often that you will miss this lurking mammal as they tend to be roaming all over the place.

Spotted Hyena, being the most social out of all hyena species, you can often see more than one together forming what we call a clan of hyenas. The clan is run in a matriarchal system (like elephants) were the female is ranked the highest and in charge. Female hyenas are also larger than males. This ranking starts straight from birth when the female gives birth to generally 2 cubs. If two female cubs are born, then the stronger female will dominate and often kill the weakest female, this is known as siblicide (often seen in birds). If the cubs are one male and one female, she will immediately get highest ranking. The alpha female generally has strong bonds with her daughters, who in most cases, assume the position in the hierarchy.

During my time here at Sabi Sabi, I have been lucky enough to see how hyenas adapt to their surroundings. As mentioned before, we have a high number of apex predators at Sabi Sabi and that allows the Spotted hyena to pursue a lifestyle that leads to scavenging as this poses as an easier solution to hunting and less risky. We will often notice how hyenas will always be close by and may even follow the scent of a predator, waiting for the opportunity to run in a steal what they can. I have also witnessed Spotted hyenas forming a hunting group who are extremely successful in hunting their prey to exhaustion, taking down baby giraffe, kudu and waterbuck males etc.

Spotted hyenas’ senses are highly developed, playing a very important role in obtaining food and communication. Hyenas have been recorded to have up to 14 different communication calls and can identify individual’s calls over many kilometers. Being nocturnal animals, we know that they will have a good sense of vision at night too.

It is a terrible misunderstanding that Spotted hyenas are cowedly scavengers, when actually, they hold a vital role in our eco system. They clean the bush of dead, dying or inform animals, maintaining a healthy population and ecosystem. They prevent disease from spreading and help recycle valuable nutrients. Hyenas are able to get nutrition from what other predators will leave as “valueless” to them. Equipped with a very powerful jaw and digestive juices, they are capable of breaking down any animal product, except for hair. The calcium compounds found in hyena faeces from the recycled bones are utilised by other animals, such as tortoises, who eat the dung in order to obtain the calcium for egg laying and shell growth.

So, we see that every animal has role in nature and a certain niche to fill, even the ones portrayed as not so glamorous can be the hidden heroes in the bush.

My Memorable Sighting

I have had many incredible encounters with hyenas, each being so different. I must say that the most exciting sighting of all was late last year when we had come across two different clans of hyenas battling it out for the remains of a buffalo kill left by two male lions. The scene was incredible to witness and to just hear all the vocalisations going on between the clans, as well as between the rankings in each. The clans did this constant back and forth pushing until each got their share and moved on.

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