An aardvark, while seemingly non-agile and docile, can in fact put up quite a fight, and even outwit a brown hyena!
This aardvark ran like the wind and after seeming to vanish into thins air, earned the respect of everyone who was privileged to witness the sighting in the Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve.
Aardvark and hyena entice viewers
Etienne explained that they had been viewing game on an open plain known as the TPA plains, which is usually where the lodge hosts their champagne breakfasts underneath the 100-year old Wild Fig Tree.
“We had initially gone to the open plain to admire the iconic Wild Fig Tree is estimated to be over 100 years old. As we approached the plain, we got a call on the game drive radio that they had spotted an aardvark foraging on the open plain,” said Etienne.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
As magical as this sighting of the aardvark was, they were about to be treated to a second rare sighting. “As we were admiring the aardvark, our guide—Andrew—noticed a brown hyena approaching the plains!”
The brown hyena walked across the grassy landscape, while game continued to graze seemingly unperturbed.
The aardvark continued to lounge around, moving with steady, slow steps. That is, until the hyena started to approach it at great speed.
“We had never imagined that the sighting would get even more unbelievable with the interaction of the brown hyena trying to hunt the aardvark!” said Etienne.
Hyena starts to chase aardvark
Etienne recounted the spectacular moment: “At first, we thought that the brown hyena had spotted something else that it had begun to chase—perhaps an antelope or smaller animal like a scrub hare that we couldn’t see—it was only once the aardvark began running that we realized that the brown hyena was actually targeting the aardvark!”
What transpired next was an unexpected heated pursuit, which saw the brown hyena break into a sprint and its intended prey, the aardvark, following suit.
The aardvark ran with great speed, even turning to run in a different direction, with a surprising agility and mastery of speed and balance.
The hyena closed in on it, and a cloud of dust rose up around the hyena as it launched its attack. It seemed at this moment that it was game over for the aardvark.
Aardvark makes great escape
However, when the dust cleared, the aardvark was nowhere to be seen. It had vanished, surprising everyone! Someone even exclaimed, “It’s gone!” This Great Houdini of an animal had outrun the hyena and outdone everyone’s expectations of it.
In reality, the aardvark had not vanished into thin air. It had disappeared down its burrow; showing that it was not just a fast mover, but also a quick thinker.
“The feelings of pure astonishment, amazement, and disbelief were overwhelming!” said Etienne. “We had never imagined that an aardvark was able to run so quickly and to see it escape into its burrow was a moment of absolute awe. After the rush of adrenaline of the brown hyena nearly managing to get a grip on the aardvark a couple of times, it was simply breath-taking to watch the aardvark manage to escape into one of its burrows that the brown hyena could not access despite its initial efforts.”
The wonders of nature take centre stage
This incredible sighting was a reminder to Etienne, and everyone with him, that dynamite can in fact come in small packages and that nature can surprise one! Just when one thinks one knows everything about the bushveld, in enters an aardvark and one is again left humbled by nature’s mysteries and wonder.
“It’s in these exceptionally rare sightings that you truly appreciate the complexity and beauty of wildlife and the bush!”