Spotted Hyena

Facts about the spotted hyena

The spotted hyena is a heavily built animal with a large head, prominent rounded ears and black muzzle. The fore quarters stand higher than the rump and the body slopes downward from the shoulders. This hyena’s general colouring is a light fawn colour with dark spots and blotches, absent only on the head, chest and throat - these spots are not as prominent as the animal gets older. The short tail is covered with the same coarse hair that covers the rest of its body; a short erect mane extends down form the neck to the shoulders.

Spotted hyenas used to occur as far south as Cape Town but now only present in the northern and eastern parts of the sub region. The hyena prefers open country but will habitat rocky and open woodland areas, the hyena does not occur in forested areas and is absent from Namib coastal belt.

The spotted hyena lives in family groups or "clans" of up to 15-20 individuals, these clans are headed by the dominant female. Territories are defended against other clans and are marked by anal gland secretions, by urine and with droppings. The droppings are a distinctive white and are usually deposited in ‘latrine sites" within the territory. Hyena’s are mainly nocturnal but can often be seen during the day.

Spotted Hyenas have often been regarded as cowardly scavengers and although they will raid rubbish bins, steal or rob a kill from other predators and feed off decaying carcasses, the spotted hyena is also a proficient hunter and will hunt either singly, in small groups or in packs - animals as large as zebra, wildebeest and giraffe.

Spotted hyenas have litters of around 1-4 cubs, usually in the summer after gestation period of 110 days. The cubs are a dark brown colour and until four months old, lack the dark brown spots. One or two females will keep the cubs in a burrow for several months after birth and keep them out of harms way……………….