(click on the image to see larger version)

The spotted hyaena is one of the most misunderstood animals to be found in Africa.  Long believed to be a scavenger, the hyaena is a perfect example of how partial knowledge can misrepresent reality.  In this case, the image of hyaenas as scavengers came about through direct field observations.  On numerous occasions, scientists would go out into the field to find a pack of hyaenas waiting eagerly on the outskirts as a pride of lions fed at a kill.  As lions ate their fill, hyaenas would sneak in, grabbing small pieces before being chased back.  It wasn’t until the lions finished and abandoned the carcass that the hyaenas would began to feed in ernest.  These observations promoted the hyaena’s image as a lazy scavenger.

It wasn’t until night vision equipment became readily available to field researchers that the true story was revealed.  It turns out that hyaenas are highly efficient hunters.  In fact, they are far more successful then lions when it comes to hunting.  What scientists discovered is that the majority of lion kills they had been documenting were in fact hyaena kills.  During the night, packs of hyaenas would take down prey, only to have their kill stollen by lions.

In hindsight, lions seem to be the lazy ones.

This female spotted hyaena was photographed in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania during one of my African wildlife photo safaris.  The image was created using a Canon 1D mark 2, 500mm IS lens with a 1.4 teleconverter, at 400 ISO.  The camera and lens were supported on a beanbag while shooting from a vehicle.