African Hyena

News: The four extant species of hyena or hyaenids found on the African continent are facing increasing threats, leading to population declines, according to conservation organisation, Wild Africa.

About African Hyena

• They belong to the Hyaenidae family of Hyaena genus.
• They are hunters and catch their prey using their teeth instead of claws.

There are four distinct species of hyena found in African continent –

1. Spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta)
2. Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), also found in the Middle East and Asia
3. Brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
4. Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus)

About Spotted hyena

• It is the most widespread of the four species, found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
• It is also known as the ‘laughing hyena’.
• It is among the continent’s most skilled predators.
• It can hunt up to 90 per cent of their food using strategy, teamwork and endurance.
• IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’ but population is declining, with fewer than 50,000 estimated left across the African continent.

About Striped hyenas

• It is found in North and East Africa.
• It is primarily nocturnal and solitary.
• It is omnivores and feed on small animals, fruits and vegetables.
• They are also the biggest carcass-scavengers of the family.
• It uses “natural lavatories” to communicate via scent—sharing information about their territory, reproductive status, and group presence.
• IUCN Status: ‘Nearly Threatened’ with less than 10,000 mature individuals left in the wild.

About Brown hyena

• It is found mainly in southern Africa’s arid deserts and savannas.
• It is predominantly a scavenger, but also supplements its diet with fruits and vegetables, insects, birds’ eggs, and occasionally small animal prey.
• It lives in small clans, typically consisting of related females and their cubs, while males may remain in their natal clan, become nomadic, or join new groups.
• One fascinating adaptation is its incredibly powerful sense of smell, used to locate carcasses over long distances.
• IUCN Status: ‘Near Threatened’, population with just over 10,000 left in Africa.

About Aardwolf

• It is the smallest and most specialized
• It is not wolves or related to them. It simply shares the name due to similar size and shape.
• It feeds almost exclusively on termites.
• They are socially monogamous, and typically live alone or in pairs.
• Threat: As they feed mostly on insects, one of the biggest threats to aardwolves is pesticide use, aimed at controlling locusts and termites.
• IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’, indicating they are not threatened, but their exact numbers are unknown due to their shy nature.