Spotted Hyenas, Social Behaviour - Kenya, East Africa

Following through from my last post, we established that hyenas belong to an ancient lineage called  carnivora, are social animals, and live in a pack-like structure called a clan which, depending upon geography and food supply, can consist of up to 80 individuals.  Although hyena behaviour is similar to that of wolves, hyena clans are much more compact and unified than in a wolf pack.   

Hyenas use established dens, usually the diggings abandoned by another animal and enlarged for their purpose; often these dens are be used year after year.

LEFT:  Two spotted hyenas, tired from the group chase and kill of a young wildebeest, trot towards the carcass to join the que to eat their breakfast (next image).

Complex Social Behaviour

Spotted hyena societies are more complex than those of other carnivorous mammals, and are remarkably similar to those of some primates in respect to group size, structure, competition and cooperation. Like primates, spotted hyenas use multiple sensory modalities, recognize individual conspecifics, are conscious that some clan-mates may be more reliable than others, recognize 3rd party kin and rank relationships among clan-mates, and adaptively use this knowledge during social decision making. Also, like primates, dominance ranks in hyena societies are not correlated with size or aggression, but with ally networks. In this latter trait, the spotted hyena further show parallels with primates by acquiring rank through coalitions. However, rank reversals and overthrows in spotted hyena clans are very rare.  

Females Dominate Males

Females dominate males, with even the lowest ranking females being dominant over the highest ranking males. It is typical for females to remain with their natal clan, thus large clans usually contain several matrilines (alpha females) whereas males typically disperse from their natal clan at the age of 2½ years. The clan is a fission-fusion society, in which clan-members do not often remain together, but may forage alone or in small groups.

LEFT:  The social structure of the clan is clearly visible in this photograph; two hyenas wait their turn to eat as the dominant female eats her fill.

High-ranking hyenas maintain their position through aggression directed against lower-ranking clan-members.  Spotted hyena hierarchy is neopotistic; meaning the offspring of dominant females automatically outrank adult females subordinate to their mother. However, rank in spotted hyena cubs is greatly dependent on the presence of the mother; low-ranking adults may act aggressively toward higher-ranking cubs when the mother is absent.

Although individual spotted hyenas only care for their own young, and males take no part in raising their young, cubs are able to identify relatives as distantly related as great-aunts. Also, males associate more closely with their own daughters rather than unrelated cubs, and the latter favour their fathers by acting less aggressively toward them.

Licking – A cross between a cat and dog

Hyenas groom themselves often like members of the cat family, and their way of licking their genitals is very cat-like (sitting on the lower back, legs spread with one leg pointing vertically upward). However, unlike other felines, they do not "wash" their faces. They defecate in the same manner as other Carnivora, though they never raise their legs as canids do when urinating, as urination serves no territorial function for them. Instead, hyenas mark their territories using their anal glands, a trait found also in other members of the carnivora, but not canines and felines.

Vocalization

The spotted hyena is very vocal, producing a number of different sounds consisting of whoops, grunts, groans, chattering, lows, giggles, yells, growls, laughs and whines. During the mating period and when young cubs are around the den, the vocalization can often reach crescendo level. At night, it’s quite common to hear hyenas chattering and yelping as they go about their nocturnal business.

I spent considerable time with the hyenas and never tired of their company.  Observing  their individual antics, behaviour, hunting and hierarchy was fascinating.

Later, I'll unravel some of the mystic associated with hyena mating and we'll take a closer look at some hyena babies within the den.  Then we will say goodbye to the hyenas and spend sometime with the highly endangered black rhinoceros.

REFERENCES:  Wozencraft, W. Christopher (16 November 2005). "Order Carnivora (pp. 532-628)"

Spotted Hyenas, Kenya - East Africa

Continuing with the African theme.  Despite vehicle issues and occasional appalling weather conditions, wildlife was plentiful. 

Whilst tracking cheetahs, I had observed a number of spotted hyenas and was keen to photograph some of the hyena behaviour at a den.  Finding a den isn’t that difficult if you have an off-road access permit; we were driving long distances daily and we already knew the location of three hyena dens.

LEFT:  An adolescent spotted hyena walks toward the camera.

Order Carnivora / Family Hyaenidae   - Hyenas

The family Hyaenidae consists of three species; each living within a broad habitat range within Continental Africa.  The smaller and shy brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) occurs only in southern Africa and the Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and the rarer Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) inhabit East Africa.

Although the spotted hyena is not endangered – its numbers are actually increasing due to the decline in African wild dogs numbers, research is still conducted my scientists interested in hyena behaviour and population distribution.  Although not commonplace, you see the odd hyena sporting a fashion accessory in the name of research: a tracking collar that emits either a GPS location or a radio transmission beep so researchers can track the individual.

Social Behaviour

The spotted hyena is the most social of the Hyaenidae in that it has the largest group sizes and most complex social behaviours. Its social organisation is unlike that of any other Carnivore, bearing closer resemblance to that of primates (baboons and macaques) with respect to group-size, hierarchical structure, and frequency of social interaction among both kin and unrelated group-mates. However, the social system of the spotted hyena is openly competitive rather than cooperative, with access to kills, mating opportunities and the time of dispersal for males depending on the ability to dominate other clan-members. Females provide only for their own cubs rather than assist each other, and males display no paternal care. Spotted hyena society is matriarchal; females are larger than males, and dominate them.

A Highly Successful Animal

The spotted hyena is a highly successful animal, being the most common large carnivore in Africa. Its success is due in part to its adaptability, cunning and opportunism; it is both an efficient hunter and a scavenger, with the capacity to eat and digest skin, bone and other animal waste.

LEFT:  A spotted hyena carries the mane and mandible of a recently brought down and killed wildebeest.

In functional terms, the spotted hyena makes the most efficient use of animal matter of all African carnivores. The spotted hyena displays greater plasticity in its hunting and foraging behaviour than other African carnivores; it hunts alone, in small parties of 2-5 individuals or in large groups. During a hunt, spotted hyenas often run through ungulate herds in order to select an individual to attack. Once selected, their prey is chased over long distance, often several kilometers, at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

I witnessed several occasions when a pack of hyenas attempted to separate a young wildebeest from its mother, and I have a fond memory of a pack of ten hyenas trotting over a rise on a hill at dawn after a night’s long-range hunting patrol. 

I my next post, we will look at the mating rituals of the spotted hyena, delve a little deeper into their complex social behaviour and have a look at hyena pups within the den.

Blog Updates Have Been Minimal

Blog entries have been few lately; I’ve been working closely with an overseas conservation agency supplying a number of photographs & short video clips.  I’ve also been busy arranging schedules for a number of photographic trips this year.  Organising a trip is always a time consuming activity and often keeping a blog up-to-date takes second place to trip logistics and working with organisations to produce and supply images.

Toyota Landcruisers are Tough - Kenya, East Africa

If I hear this comment one more time I’ll scream….

Five weeks in Africa self drive can be very damaging to a motor vehicle, more so if you have an off road permit.  In Australia I own a Toyota Landcruiser which is an excellent vehicle and takes me to some out of the way places, but my vehicle is regularly maintained.  The rental vehicle in Africa was Toyota Landcruiser troop carrier.  In many respects a similar vehicle with the exception that this four wheel drive hadn’t been regularly maintained.

Australian Landcruisers Are Tough

The lineage of this vehicle was Australian and it had been purchased second hand from Telecom, the Australian communications company.  On the outside the 4X4 looked OK, and for the first week or so performed admirably.  But as time passed, problems began to present themselves.

LEFT: Field repairing the front left spring which began to break due to rough road conditions.  Masai Mara warriors watch as we work!

Apart from the usual flat tyres and getting stuck a few times in deep mud, we had more insidious issues.  The front springs were makeshift and had been replaced incorrectly; we were afraid that with the workload they would fall apart leaving us stranded in “lion country”.  Further, the roof hinges for the observation roof were damaged and rattling like chattering teeth and the attachment points of the bulbar to the chassis were loose due to poor welding.  Shock absorbers were – well let’s say they didn’t absorb anything at all!  But we continued using the vehicle until the inevitable occurred.

LEFT:  We wondered if "this" would be our Toyota in a year or so!

Mechanical Problems

BANG – while driving along the dirt track, the hinges of the roof hatch broke and the heavy metal hatch flew forward onto the bonnet (hood) of the Landcruiser.  It then hit the bull-bar which reflected the hatch back towards the windscreen – SMASH.  In 30 seconds the windshield was cracked and the hatch was lying loose.  Repairs were necessary so we drove to the nearest town and mechanical repair facility.   The name “repair facility” is erroneous, as these guys were not mechanics but locals who knew a little bit about mechanics – just enough to be dangerous.  They repaired the car for a few dollars and away we went satisfied that all was OK.

LEFT:  Field welding the bullbar back to the vehicle chassis.i

A few days later, BANG!!  We hit a hole in the ground and the vehicle lurched precariously to the side.  Inspecting the damage it was noted the bulbar now had fallen off the car, the rear tyre carrier had also broken away and the shock absorber – well what shock absorber!  It was gone.  Another visit to our newly made mechanical friends soon rectified the situation – for a few dollars.  The locals shrugged off our comment about regular maintenance, log books and the like – “Hey this Africa”  they chanted.

As we departed the repair facility, we could only wonder if this was going to be a regular affair.  A few days later as we crossed a rather deep and rocky river crossing – BANG!!  The vehicle sunk to the chassis in the centre of the river.  Our first thought was crocodiles, but there were none nearby.  We literally smashed the transmission repeatedly into forward and reverse as we attempted to extract ourselves from the hole.  BANG!!  Was that the drive shaft or the front diff hitting a submerged rock– who knows!  Climbing from the river we inspected the vehicle again.  The front springs were not looking healthy!  Further, the steering was suspect as the car veered sideways when driving.  Time to say hello to our local friends again and here the ominous words “Hey this is Africa” as we parted with a few more dollars….

This visit identified additional mechanical issues.  As we drove into the town locals jumped about and wildly pointed at the front wheels.  Alighting from our chariot to inspect the front wheels we were “delighted” to see that the right hand tyre was sitting at a crazy angle!!  The upper bearing had broken and wheel was about to vacate the car!

Authorized Toyota Repair Facility – Ahhh No

It soon became apparent that this was NOT an authorized Toyota repair facility as we watched the bearings being replaced.  The bearings were striped apart and placed on the sand – YES read sand.  They were then cleaned with petrol by a young African smoking a cigarette (I stood well away).  New grease was not applied to the bearings but rather they used the older sand-entrained grease.  When I mentioned this to the head mechanic, he quickly smeared some new grease over the older grease looking at me with a smile that said “Hey this is Africa”….. A few dollars and once again we were on our way!

The final straw was a few days later when we hit a rather large hole whiles travelling off-road.  BANG!!  Inspecting the car we noted more issues which included the front springs looking slightly “more” bent than what they were a week earlier.  We drove on but stopped when we noticed we no longer could hear a rattle that had been present for two weeks.  To our horror we found out why there was no rattle; the sidebar, which was the cause of the rattle, had vanished!  It must have fallen off on one of the river crossings!  We looked or the sidebar but never found it.

The vehicle served us for three weeks.  It was then decided, in lei of the amount of time being spent having the vehicle repaired, that it was prudent to rent another vehicle form Nairobi with a driver.  After this decision, our repairs ceased and although the local mechanics waved to us every time we passed through town, we never did stop to hear the words “Hey this is Africa” again.

LEFT:  Field repairs were a constant ordeal and we were always keeping an ear to the ground listening for something else falling off, or breaking on the vehicle.  Tyre repairs and changes were common and in "lion country" need to be done as quickly as possible,  Here a Masai Mara warrior lends a hand to Uwe as a damaged tyre is replaced.

Other Issues

Of course if the above mechanical issues were not enough to keep us on our toes, there were also battery problems.  The battery was new but the wires and alternator were old - very old!  I have SOG to thank for making a very robust knife tool (like a leatherman).  I used this on several occasions to repair the alternator and arc the battery terminals so the car would start!  I can remember at one stage we all were pushing the vehicle in an attempt to clutch start it, but it got away from us and started chugging along the track without its passengers; We were madly running after the car!!  An except from the movie flick "The Gods must be Crazy" crept into my mind as I clamored aboard.

But, as they say "this is Africa"...

Photographing Intimate Moments

Photographs are “just photographs” unless they capture something special regarding the subject.

Left:  A black-browed albatross (Diomedea melanophris) tends it's sole chick in the Falkland Islands.

In today’s digital world, there are so many images of animals that it’s easy to view images as a just another animal “snap”.  To elevate your image to the next level you need to do something more than just being at the location for a fleeting moment and squeezing the shutter button.  Certainly, a well lighted, technically correct and suitably composed photograph is several steps in the right direction, as is a rarely photographed animal.  But, what can be done to separate your image from the rest of the crop.

I’ve discussed photographing defining moments in an earlier blog post, but what about intimate moments.

Intimacy

Capturing an intimate moment with wildlife is often serendipitous; however, knowing the behaviour of your target species is advantageous as it allows you (the photographer) to have a “somewhat slightly fractured” crystal ball to predict the behaviour that will occur.  Although animals do alter their behaviour to changing environmental situations, they do not change their base behaviour.  Spending as much time as possible with an animal will greatly increase your chance to observe differing behaviour and photograph, either a defining or intimate moment.

In this photograph of a Black-browed Albatross, the intimate behaviour is the subtle expression on the adult and chick’s face as they face each other in the nest.  I waited for two hours on a cliff ledge in the Falkland Islands to be given the opportunity, to capture this connection between the chick and its parent.  I have many “snaps” of albatross in similar positions with similar lighting, but the expression of intimacy portrayed in this image, is what separates it from the others. 

Is the Intimate Connection Real?

Was there an actual connection between the chick and the parent?  This is a difficult question to answer; it depends upon whether you believe animals’ have the ability to “feel” as humans do.

I rarely have anthropomorphic responses towards an animal’s behaviour, however, many individuals who view my images do.  Therefore, photographing intimacy between animals is well worth the effort because it separates your photograph from the many hundreds of “snaps” already out there in the marketplace.

• Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to animals.