The Clan Den, Mating & Baby Hyenas, Kenya - East Africa

The Clan Den

The clan's social life revolves around a communal den. While some clans may use particular den sites for years, others may use several different dens within a year or several den sites simultaneously. Spotted hyena dens can have more than a dozen entrances, and are mostly located on flat ground. Spotted hyenas rarely dig their own dens, having been observed for the most part to use the abandoned burrows of wathogs, springhares and jackals. 

Dens have large bare patches around their entrances, where hyenas move or lie down on. Because of their size, adult hyenas are incapable of using the full extent of their burrows, as most tunnels are dug by cubs or smaller animals. The structure of the den, consisting of small underground channels leading to a mating spacious end-chamber, is likely an effective anti-predator device which protects cubs from predation during the absence of the mother.

Dens are used mostly by several females at once, and it is not uncommon to see up to 20 cubs at a single site. 

Mating

The spotted hyena is a non-seasonal breeder and is promiscuous; no enduring pair bonds are formed. Members of both sexes may copulate with several mates over the course of several years. Males will show submissive behaviour when approaching females in heat, even if the male outweighs its partner.

Females usually favour younger males born or joined into the clan after they were born. Older females show a similar preference, with the addition of preferring males with whom they have had long and friendly prior relationships. Passive males tend to have greater success in courting females than aggressive ones. Copulation in spotted hyenas is a relatively short affair, which typically only occurs at night with no other hyenas present.

This Looks Difficult

The mating process is complicated, as the female's reproductive tract is entered and exited through her pseudo-penis rather than directly through the vagina, which is blocked by the false scrotum and testes. Once the female retracts her clitoris, the male enters the female by sliding beneath her, an operation facilitated by the penis' upward angle. Once this is accomplished, a normal mating stance is adopted.

Steroids

The length of the gestation period tends to vary greatly, though 110 days is the average length of time.  In the final stages of pregnancy, dominant females provide their developing offspring with higher androgen levels than lower-ranking mothers do. The higher androgen levels - the result of high concentrations of ovarian androstenedione - are thought to be responsible for the extreme masculinization of female behaviour and morphology. This has the effect of rendering the cubs of dominant females more aggressive and sexually active than those of lower ranking hyenas; high ranking male cubs will attempt to mount females earlier than lower ranking males.

The average litter consists of two cubs, with three occasionally being reported. Males take no part in the raising of young. Parturition is difficult, as females give birth through their narrow clitoris, and spotted hyena cubs are the largest carnivoran young relative to their mothers' weight. During parturition, the clitoris ruptures in order to facilitate the passage of young, and may take weeks to heal.

Siblicide is 25%

Cubs are born with soft, brownish black hair, and weigh 1.5 kg on average. Unique among carnivorous mammals, spotted hyenas are also born with their eyes open and with 6–7 mm long canine teeth and 4 mm long incisors. Also, cubs will attack each other shortly after birth. This is particularly apparent in same sexed litters, and can result in the death of the weaker cub. This neonatal siblicide kills an estimated 25% of all hyenas in their first month.

Male cubs which survive grow faster and are likelier to achieve reproductive dominance; The  milk provided by the hyena mother has the highest protein content of any terrestrial carnivore, and its fat content is second only to that of the polar bear and sea otter.

Cubs will nurse from their mother for 12–16 months, though they can process solid food as early as three months. Mothers do not regurgitate food for their young. Females are very protective of their cubs, and will not tolerate other adults, particularly males, approaching them.

Cubs learn Social Behaviour Very Quickly

Spotted hyenas exhibit adult behaviours very early in life; cubs have been observed to ritually sniff each other and mark their living space before the age of one month. Within ten days of birth, they are able to move at considerable speed. Cubs begin to lose the black coat and develop the spotted, lighter coloured pelage of the adults at 2–3 months. They begin to exhibit hunting behaviours at the age of eight months, and will begin fully participating in group hunts after their first year. Spotted hyenas reach sexual maturity at the age of three years. 

A Word About The Photographs

The photographs in this sequence were taken at a one of two hyena dens.  You will note that the colours of the hyenas are dull and rather flat looking.  This is because of the dust that is present within the coat's fur.  This region in Kenya is rather dusty, except after rain or when the light is low on the horizon.   

Hyena Coverage

In the last thee posts we've looked in depth at the spotted hyena; I like the animal.  But enough is enough and its time to farewell the hyena.  However, a short video will be posted in the Video Section in the not  distant future

REFERENCES: Heptner, V. G.; Sludskii, A. A. (1992). Mammals of the Soviet Union: Carnivora (hyaenas and cats), Volume 2.

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.

The Hunt, Chase & Kill - Wild Cheetahs in Kenya, East Africa

The Hunt

The following morning, whilst travelling the usual rough route from the camp to the last known position of the cheetahs, our luck appeared to change.  The brothers were on the move and tailing a large herd of wildebeest.  Quickly driving to a suitable shooting position in relation to the sun, we prepared our cameras for what was hoped would be a kill. 

LEFT:  A cheetah moves out from the cover of the stream and makes his way toward the herd.

One of cheetahs climbed a termite mound, to see further ahead, before setting off at a fast trot moving toward our vehicle.  In an instant, the feline was transformed from a sleeping house cat to a highly mobile killing machine.  It was so fast, almost a blur, as the cat shortened its distance between itself and the herd of wildebeest.   The target was a largish individual, enough to sustain the three hunters.  But where were the other hunters – only one was chasing the target prey.  The other two hunters were lolling behind enjoying the morning sun while playing in the grass!

LEFT:  A male cheetah, bypasses a fleeing wildebeest as it locks onto an individual within the herd.

Confrontation

The wildebeest, perhaps sensing an untrained solo hunter, stopped running and turned while lowered its head to confront the cheetah.  A brief exchange took place whereby the wildebeest charged the cheetah attempting to injure the adolescent with its two flailing front legs and hoofs.  The cheetah made a fleeting attempt at grabbing the rear flank without success before retreating to a safer distance from the aggressive wildebeest. 

LEFT:  Adult wildebeest are no easy match for a cheetah.  The wildebeest rather than run, stops and confronts the cat.

The hunt had ended and the cheetah was left standing, panting and looking towards his brethren with a disdainful look on his face which clearly said “where were you?”  The hunt, run and attack was a failure due to poor cooperation between the trio.

Let’s Try Again…

A lager (a thin strip of thick vegetation that hides a watercourse) was directly in front of the moving wildebeest.  We decided that the prime shooting position would be with the sun behind us on the quarter at the other side of the lager.  To reach this position required us to drive across the rough lager and a small stream. 

LEFT: Paws outstretched, a cheetah brings down a wildebeest after a short but very fast run.

Meanwhile, the trio had reunited and were making a steady pace behind the herd.  We were certain a kill would happen this morning; the cheetahs were active and we knew they must be hungry!

The wildebeest slowly moved around our vehicle; for a moment I was concerned our presence would predetermine the direction of the herd.  However, this didn’t occur as the animals abruptly altered direction moving away and to the left of our vehicle.  The herd comprised a number of mothers with first born, inexperienced adolescents, and old salts.  It’s the young and inexperienced that are usually targeted by predators.

LEFT: The prey is now dead and the cheetahs share the choice pieces of the kill.  One cheetah drinks fresh blood from a severed artery whilst another chews on a flank.

The cheetahs, following each other, pushed through the dense vegetation of the lager and stopped short of the savannah.  The cats assessing the situation quickly, realized that the herd was moving towards them.  They broke from the cover provided by the lager and began to walk toward the herd maintaining what cover was available from the natural contours of the land.  The herd hadn’t noticed the three slick cats, until they bounded from a walk to a very fast run, which became a blur as they shortened the distance to the herd.  The wildebeest finally saw the danger and the lead animals broke into a run which translated to a wild frenzy of movement as each individual in the herd panicked.  The hunting had ended and the chase had begun.

The Hunting Had Ended & The Chase Had Begun

It was too little too late!  The three cats were amongst the herd and it was difficult to think that the hunt would not be a success.  At first, each cat appeared to target what he thought was a prime individual, but as they ran along the side the herd, a dedicated target was selected from the many.  The three cats, in marvellous co operation ran the ‘chosen one” away from the protection of the central section of the herd.  The singled out wildebeest ran fast, weaving and dancing in an attempt to remove the ‘target lock” achieved by the cheetahs.  The individual selected was not an inexperienced youngster, but a fully grown adult who was more than capable of outfighting a single cheetah, but what about three cheetahs acting as one unified force?

Feline Cooperation

The first cheetah pawed the rear leg of the wildebeest, but missed!; the resultant inertia forcing him to loose his footing and fall to the ground.  The second cat manoeuvred himself to the front of the wildebeest causing the stricken animal to alter direction and loose speed.  The third cheetah made his move and with two paws outstretched, fastened himself to the rump of the now highly panicked animal and wrestled him to the ground.  Attempting to get a better purchase on the animal, the cheetah released his grip and the wildebeest, realizing his opportunity, jumped from the cheetah’s grasp to make an escape.  However, by this time the first cat, recovered from his fall, leapt onto the rear of the animal, bringing him down before he could make good his escape.  The cheetah that had lost his initial purchase on the rump, quickly climbed onto the panting wildebeest holding him to the ground.  It was over.  The death of one would be the life of three.

The hunt, chase and kill had transpired very quickly. Now there was a stricken wildebeest lying on the ground with two cheetahs beginning to feed, whilst the third kept a careful watch for intruders. 

LEFT: Two hungry cheetahs begin to feast on the still live wildebeest whilst a third cheetah watches for other predators.  It's unusual behaviour for cheetahs to feed on still-living prey.

While one of the brothers tore the flesh from the favoured area of the animal; the rear haunches, his brethren began to open an area in the region of the neck, to drink the fresh blood.  Blood is very rich in iron and often is drunk by animals as a vitamin supplement to water.  The luckless victim continued to try and make an escape, but clearly this movement was instinctive.  I was told by the KWS ranger that cheetahs rarely eat live food, and to do so, probably can be explained by heightened hunger. 

In between feeding, each cheetah in unison would stop momentarily, raise himself high from the ground and scan the horizon for danger.  A lion or hyena group could easily steal the carcass and perhaps injure one of the trio.  Overhead, vultures attracted to the recent kill, began to circle the carcass.

Unusual Cheetah Behaviour

The normal practice for cheetahs is to “rush their meal” for fear of losing it to another scavenging animal – the behaviour is almost “hit and run”; but, thirty minutes had gone by and the three brothers were still eating!  This was not normal behaviour. 

The flanks had been consumed and now the trio were demolishing and feeding upon the remainder of the carcass.   A lone jackal, attracted by the smell of blood boldly made his way towards the carcass, however, the brothers had little intension of sharing their food with a non family member and quickly charged the jackal, putting this “lower predator” into its rightful place.  Eventually the jackal was successful in steeling a morsel (the stomach).

LEFT:  A male cheetah lifts its head from early dining to sneer at a Jackrel that wants her share of the free food which the jackrel did not earn....

The three brothers, whose bellies were now visibly distended, had within forty minutes consumed most of the accessible meat from the carcass.  Immediately after the last cheetah had left the remains, the waiting vultures descended and began to rip apart the remainder of the flesh.  The transition was swift; it reminded me of a hoard of flies attracted to a piece of left over meat at a summer BBQ, or perhaps a school of piranha attacking a hapless victim in Amazonian waters.  Literally within minutes, the bones were picked relatively clean with only the rib cage showing  above the grass.  Nothing went to waste.

Cheetah Cubs

I'll return to the cheetahs at some stage in the future, however, I won't be discussing the three brothers.  Instead, we'll have a glimpse into the life of three, very playful one-week old cheetah cubs and their mother.

The Three Brothers, Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - Republic of Kenya

The small thermometer I had on my photo backpack said it was 45 degrees Celsius; I thought about repositioning the device, but then realized that it was already in the shade.

I was sitting in the rear of a Toyota Landcruiser crammed in amongst various pieces of photographic equipment, and a very large cooler which carried breakfast and lunch.  I’d been sitting here for 3 hours watching three young cheetahs, and the temperature didn’t seem to be decreasing.  The cheetahs had the right idea – sleep, and I’m sure I dozed off now and again, only to be woken by several dozen squadrons of annoying flies buzzing around my head.

LEFT: A male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) watchful for prey or predators.

The Three Brothers

The three male cheetahs, nicknamed “The Three Brothers” by the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS), are a tad over a year old and belong to the same litter.

“Cheetahs are usually solitary or are seen in pairs.  A trio co-habitating is quite uncommon” stated one of the KWS rangers I had spoken with earlier that day. 

Our task this day, and for the following several days was relatively simple; follow the cheetahs to observe their behaviour and hopefully photograph the animals hunting and making a kill. 

Cheetahs are one of the most beautiful cats to be found in Africa, and in my opinion rate second to the leopard.  Evolution and natural selection has developed an animal that is exceptionally adapted to chasing and killing certain types of prey.  The cheetah is the fastest of the big cats and is superbly adapted for speed, able to retain speeds of 112 km/hr (69 mph).   This speed equates to roughly 32 meters per second (32 m/s) and can be maintained over an average prey chase of 2.7 kilometres (3.5 miles).

But, as with most predators when not hunting, they sleep to conserve energy - and this is exactly what the three brothers were doing, only occasionally stirring to check on the location of a number of Thompson gazelles that were browsing nearby.

Cheetahs Are Skittish Animals

Cheetahs, in comparison to other apex predators such as lions and leopards, are skittish animals forever watchful and alert.  They are the “scaredy cats” of the feline family.  A cheetah won’t take unnecessary risks, and often will retreat upon conflict with another animal – especially a lion which are known to kill cheetahs.  A mother with cubs is especially vulnerable and often cubs will be killed by hyenas and lions.  At these times the mother will move away from areas heavily populated with prey to minimise any interaction with other predators. 

The Three Brothers inhabited a lightly vegetated area adjacent to surrounding plains; this is the favoured habitat of cheetahs as it provides vegetation to hide behind, and open ground from which to exercise their one benefit over other predators – speed.   Unlike lions, which mainly hunt at night, cheetahs prefer to hunt during the daylight hours, thereby minimising the chance of injury such as falling into a hole while running at high speeds.

 Fussy Eaters

Searching for the cheetahs each day revealed that over the past week or so they had hunted and made several kills; the remains of their kill was evident as we searched the open ground and beneath shady bushes.  Cheetahs, like some house cats, are fussy eaters; they prefer smaller animals such as gazelles, and then only consume the choicest cuts – normally the rear flanks, leaving the remainder of the kill for hyenas, jackals or vultures. 

LEFT: On the brothers wakens briefly and yawns whilst his brethren sleeps adjacent.

Several times, we observed prey animals and positioned the four wheel drive in a suitable place to film any resultant hunt and kill; however, it became evident that as the brothers were three, a gazelle hind quarter was not going to be enough food to sustain them.  I’d read that cheetahs hunt three to four times a week; daily when bringing up cubs. 

We knew the brothers were hungry….We knew they had to hunt soon…We had an inkling that they wanted something more sustainable than a gazelle, but when would they make their move? 

In my next post, I’ll describe the hunting technique of the three brothers and we’ll learn whether they were successful or not.