Hyena - The Ultimate African Scavenger

There are three species of hyenas, but the only difference between them is the color of their fur. The best known is the spotted hyena. It lives in Africa and is located in almost all parts of the country.

The hyena is a carnivorous mammal. It can hunt and kill live animals but it prefers to eat the carcasses left by the other animals. It will follow the lion and the tiger to take advantage of what is left and sometimes will even steal their kill.

As a scavenger it is very useful of disposing of decaying remains which can propogate many diseases.

The hyena hunts mostly at night because its sight is very good. It rests in its den all the day.

It hunts in large groups, which is effective when the animal is important like a wildebeast for example. A female is always the leader of the group.