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The Hyena
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Jul 9, 2025
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There are many animals in Africa that
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strike fear into the hearts of men, from
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lions to elephants. But none perhaps are
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more misunderstood, reviled, and
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vilified than the hyena. People have
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been calling them laughing hyenas for a
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very long time because of their strange
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cack-like sound. Sure, here's a full
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profile on hyenas. One of Africa's most
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misunderstood but fascinating animals.
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Hyena, there are four species of hyenas.
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But in Africa, the most well-known are
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one, spotted hyena, most common and
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iconic.
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Two, striped hyena found in North and
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East Africa. Three, brown hyena found in
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southern Africa. Spotted hyena facts.
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Appearance: tan or yellowish fur with
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dark spots, sloping back, large head,
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and powerful jaws. Size. Females are
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larger than males. Unusual in the animal
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kingdom habitat, savas, grasslands,
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woodlands, and mountainous areas diet.
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Scavengers and hunters, they will eat
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kerrion, but are also skilled hunters.
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And unlike most other predators, they
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can digest bones thanks to super strong
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stomach acid. Social life. Live in clans
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with up to 80 members. These clans can
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stretch over large areas and still have
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plenty of space left over for other
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clans. The spotted hyena is the only
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truly social cat or dog in Africa. They
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live in groups of both sexes and related
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by blood, making it the largest
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carnivorous mammal society in Africa.
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Females dominate the clan, taking charge
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of hunting decisions and keeping the
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peace. Hyenas communicate using whoops,
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laughs, growls, and body language.
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And their whoops and laughs have several
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different meanings. And no, they aren't
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laughing when they do this. It's
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actually a signal of stress or
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excitement during a tense situation.
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Hunting. Hyenas hunt in groups and work
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as a team. Their success rate is between
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60 to 70%. Which is often better than
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lions. When they hunt, they usually
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chase their prey over long distances
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before overpowering them. The hyenas
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take turns biting, holding, and kicking
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the prey while the others rest. And if
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you think that sounds unfair, remember
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that the hyenas are running on empty
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stomachs. A prey, on the other hand, has
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been running for its life and is
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exhausted. Behavior. Highly intelligent.
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Hyenas are superb problem solvers and
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have excellent memories, allowing them
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to remember water sources during
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droughts, as well as cash sites where
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they can store food. They use scent
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marking to tell if another hyena has
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been there recently, as well as marking
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their own territory. Hyena vs. Wild Dog.
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Quick comparison. Feature hyena African
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wild dog social structure matriarchal
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clan cooperative pack diet scavenger
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plus hunter hunter only hunting method
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stalk and overpower endurance pack
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chases vocal sounds whoops giggles
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laughs chirps hoots yips status least
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concern endangered fun facts asterisk
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hyenas can crush bones with their
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powerful jaws a hyena's laugh can be
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heard up to 5 km away despite the myth
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hyenas are more closely related to cats
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than dogs there are more spotted hyenas
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than any other big cat in Africa. Hyenas
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have thick fur which helps protect them
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from both the sun and deadly stingers
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from their prey like the oxecker. We
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hope you enjoyed learning about hyenas.
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Click the link below to learn about
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another amazing African animal. See you
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next time. Ow.
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