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 –
- Spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta)
- Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), also found in the Middle East and Asia
- Brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
- 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.
