Hyena Facts

All hyenas hide surplus food for later – sometimes even underwater in the case of the spotted hyena.
Hyenas are more closely related to mongooses than to members of the dog family.
In South Africa, brown hyenas, or ‘beach wolves, beach-comb for dead crabs, fish and sea mammals.
A female brown hyena was once seen to take a springbok carcase from a leopard, and drive the leopard up a tree.
Brown and striped hyenas erect their long manes to make them look larger when displaying aggression.
After making a successful kill, the spotted (laughing’) hyena emits a bloodcurdling, laugh-like cry.
The aardwolf is a small, insect-eating member of the hyena family. One specimen was found to have over 40,000 termites in its stomach.
Often portrayed as a skulking scavenger, the spotted hyena is in fact an aggressive hunter, and is also capable of driving lions from their kills at times.
The hyena’s powerful jaws can crush large bones, which its digestive system dissolves in a few hours.
Hyenas may suckle their young for more than 1 year, compared to 2 months in the dog family.
The hyenas’ victim is often brought down by a bite to the leg or back and then ripped to pieces by the pack while it is still alive.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.