In this video, a lone hyena is seen exploring as it walks down a dusty road. The question is, is it more curious than the creatures it encounters along the way.
Regular contributor Mark Fox sent this entertaining video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it on the S27 in the southernmost part of South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Watch the video here:
Out on patrol
As we join the action in Mark’s video, we see a lone spotted hyena walking in the road. As Mark slowly follows, it is apparent that the animal is patrolling, presumably in search of something to eat.
Although spotted hyenas are social animals living in structured clans, they often roam in solitude. Then, should they find something of interest, they summon their clanmates with their distinctive “laughing” vocalisations.
Making sense of the surroundings
As it walks along, its senses scan its surroundings for anything of interest. As Mark explains, it is a young animal and, as such, not much escapes his curiosity.
A hyena’s senses are very acute and essential for detecting food sources, whether living or dead. Additionally, they communicate their presence and status to one another with scent markings.
Checking out the birds
Being young, the hyena’s curiosity knows no bounds. Consequently, when it encounters a Swainson’s spurfowl, it turns to investigate.
Unsurprisingly, the little bird is not happy with the attention and runs in circles to stay clear of the hyena.
For a brief moment, the hyena half-heartedly pursues the bird before giving up and continuing on its way.
Distinctive shapes ahead
As we continue to follow, we see a few very distinctive shapes lined up ahead. A small herd of giraffes is standing on the road, browsing on nearby trees.
Initially, they don’t see the approaching predator as they’re too engrossed in their feeding. In a predator-rich environment like Kruger, this can have fatal consequences.
Spotty spotted
Thankfully, when another giraffe emerges from the surrounding bush, it immediately spots the hyena. As it does, the other giraffes realise there is something amiss and stop feeding.
At this point, we note that the newly arrived giraffe is an adult female, while the other two are sub-adults. Despite the predator’s presence, the giraffes do not flee. Instead, they watch the hyena approach, apparently more curious in it than it is in them.
They seem to realise that the lone hyena does not represent an imminent threat. However, erring on the side of caution, they keep a close eye on it.
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Mutual understanding
As for the hyena, it too seems to realise that the much larger animal is too big for it to tackle alone. In fact, it seems more interested in the scents carried on the breeze.
Having decided that the scent is not worth investigating further, the hyena then turns and continues towards the giraffes.
At this point, the two youngsters start to feel a little uncertain. Accordingly, they move behind the female where they feel safer.
It seems likely that the female is the parent of one of the youngsters, while the other’s mother browses out of view. Giraffes seldom have twins.
A passing interest
As the hyena gets within a few metres of the giraffes, it veers into the bush. It is very clearly not interested in the giraffes, but rather looking for a way past them.
Still, the mother giraffe is taking no chances and stoops to have a closer look. Subsequently, the hyena reappears and crosses the road, still looking for an alternative route.
As the video ends, the hyena is last seen disappearing into the bush. As it goes, the giraffes relax and resume their feeding. We can only wonder what they made of the episode.