Fortunately for the hyena clan and wild dog pack, the confrontation stayed controlled. What followed resembled a tense boxing match
There were teeth-baring, lashing paws and a few opportunistic nips, but overall, the encounter stayed just on the edge of serious. Give or take a few scratches or bite marks, no animal was badly hurt in the confrontation.
Watch The Sighting:
Hyenas And Wild Dogs Gather In A Showdown
As social animals, wild dogs roam around in packs, while Hyenas are social animals and live as a clan; they roam around solo. However, in this encounter, the spotted hyenas were not alone, and a few formed a united front against the fight-ready wild dogs.
The wild dogs were energetic, as compared to the hyenas, which stayed put and used their teeth to intimidate.
The wild dog has a slender build and is agile, whereas the hyena’s build is more robust. However, both are formidable hunters in their own right with unique hunting strategies.
Still, despite being skilled hunters, the hyenas chose not to launch a full-blown attack in this instance. Perhaps they realised that retaliating aggressively would only get them outnumbered and overpowered.
Wild Dogs Take Turns To Jab At Hyena
The first hyena held its ground, baring its teeth for an extended time, as each of the wild dogs appeared to take turns jabbing at the creature.
The hyena turned its head away from the jabs, and with the head turns and pointed jabs, it was as though the animals were engrossed in a live animal boxing match.
There was also a measure of curiosity in the pack of wild dogs, which came up to the hyenas, almost to inspect them… perhaps to get a closer look at their teeth, before lashing out at them with their paws.
This meeting of the species continued for some time and included some humorous moments, with the wild dogs acting almost puppy-like in the poking gestures they used to confront the hyenas.
Both hyenas and wild dogs are among Africa’s most iconic predators. While often relegated to ‘scavenger’ status, they can hunt down and kill their prey, being as skilled at hunting for food as they are at scavenging for it.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
In addition to both being strong predators, they are also highly territorial.
Encounters between the two species, such as this one, are nothing unusual. The two predators often compete for territory and food.
This competition sometimes culminates in showdowns, where interactions can be violent as the parties fight for dominance.
Wild Dog Chases Hyena Way From Vicinity
Eventually, it seems a winner was declared… however, only after the boxing interactions had subsided.
The wild dogs decided to put a little more effort into chasing the hyenas away, and the clip ends with one of them running after a hyena, briefly tussling before the hyena sprinted off into the distance.