“Medieval Europeans also believed that sometimes a lioness would mate with a hyena to produce a strange hybrid called the leucrotta. The leucrotta had a human voice and could imitate human speech to lure travelers into its clutches”.
It seems that Hyena does enjoy the water, they will often wade into dams and even puddles of water to cool off and to drink at the same time. And why not when the temperature in the Lowveld can reach 46C in summer?
“Who are you and why are you parked outside my house”?
While at Nambu Camp, every game drive started at this den site, not too far from the camp. It was only on the final morning that we found the family, or part of it, at home. A female and two pups were the pay-off for 3 days of persistence.
And, you have to agree, that the cuteness factor is off the charts.
“Some African cultures have even stranger lore about hyenas. All over the continent, some cultures believe some witches can turn themselves into hyenas. The spotted hyena is to Africa what the black cat is in the U.S. — the premier witch animal, uncanny and terrifying”.
There is always one cub who is more courageous than the others and will try to get as close as possible to the game viewer. In all my years in the bush, I have never had an adult hyena try to stop young from investigating.
And I have even had some youngsters gnawing on the aluminum running boards and sundry other parts of a vehicle that I have been in. Cute, but costly.
“Spotted hyenas are famed scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators. They also kill and eat birds, lizards, snakes, and insects”.
That being said, many people are unaware that the hyena has a 70% success rate when it comes to their hunting skills.
“Notoriously hungry, the hyena has long been a source of fear throughout Africa. A nocturnal hunter and scavenger, it has been associated with sorcery, evil, and trickery”.
Often we fail to realize just how large these animals are. And with a bite of 1100psi compared to that of a lion which is only 650psi! It is for that reason that hyenas can gnaw at bones that other predators leave behind at a kill site.
Female hyenas are bigger, stronger, and tougher than their male counterparts, and this becomes clear when you realize that the clans are run by a Matriarch and her female offspring, usually referred to as a princess.
Dominance within the clan can end up with the young princess being killed to change the leadership. Often, if the Matriarch and her offspring are killed by other predators, which has occurred, then the clan ends up in disarray and will often disband and form smaller groups to reestablish a hierarchical structure.
“In East Africa, Tabwa mythology portrays the spotted hyena as a solar animal that first brought the sun to warm the cold earth, while West African folklore generally shows the hyena as symbolizing immorality, dirty habits, the reversal of normal activities, and other negative traits”.
When you are in the bush and the night sounds start, the two most dominant are usually the mournful call of a Jackal and the distinct “whoop” or “laugh” that the Spotted hyena makes.
Did you know?
‘In total there are more than 11 distinct vocalizations, with some scientists claiming there are as many as 28. Regardless of the count, the presence of complex and diverse forms of vocal communication owe again to a complex and intelligent animal”.
“With their square heads and powerful bodies, hyenas look similar to larger breeds of dogs. The reality, however, is that hyenas are not related to dogs. They are more closely related to cats, mongooses, and civets, but have their own unique family of mammals, the Hyaenidae”.
FYI:
Hyenas make some of the best mothers in the animal kingdom, investing more energy per cub than any other terrestrial carnivore. Hyenas give birth to 1 to 3 tiny jet-black cubs. which are “precocial”, meaning they are born in an advanced stage of development with their eyes open, teeth intact, and muscles ready to go, unlike many of the cat species where cubs are born largely blind and helpless for several weeks.
“As a Spirit Animal Guide, Hyena has ties to resourcefulness, balance, and gratitude. Hyena’s vocal calls give the creature’s symbolism and meaning even greater depth”.
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