Dangerous Creatures: Hyena

(Africa, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia)

   Hyenas look very much like dogs. But they’re not at all related.
   A pack of hyenas would gladly grab a zebra, a wildebeest or a gazelle.
   A clan of spotted hyenas lives in a central den. The females rule here.
   A lion will steal a hyena’s meal if it can.
   To scavenge or not to scavenge? That is a question that does not arise! Hyenas will take any free meat they can get.
   Video: Hyenas were long thought to eat only the kills of other animals. But experts now know that hyenas are skilful and deadly pack hunters. In fact, lions often steal the kills of hyenas!
   Advice: During the day, hyenas are usually seen skulking around a kill, waiting their turn to eat. But after dark, hyenas turn into skilful hunters. So if you hear a few hyenas laughing in the dark, don’t try to join the party!

Next: Sometimes a hyena hunts, and sometimes it scavenges. The same is true of many vultures.