Hyenas are generally viewed as dangerous, cunning animals that, according to folklore, steal children and rob other animals of their kill. But among their own families, hyenas are actually loyal, lifelong friends.
Hyenas. Although hyenas readily feed upon human corpses, they are generally very wary of humans and less dangerous than the big cats whose territory overlaps with theirs.
As young animals, pet hyenas enjoy belly rubs and contact with humans. However, as they mature, their aggressive instincts grow stronger. That is the hyena's true nature as a wild and predatory animal.
The striped hyena is easily tamed and can be fully trained, particularly when they are young. Although the Ancient Egyptians did not consider striped hyenas sacred, they did supposedly tame them for use in hunting.
Wild animals such as hyenas either rabid or healthy have been known to attack and kill humans and prey on domestic livestock in Africa [9, 10].
A lion would win a lion vs hyena battle. Lions have the advantage in most important categories, including size, speed, and power. A solo hyena and lion would meet in open battle in the best case, or a lion would ambush the hyena in the worst case. The fight would last less than a minute.
Hyenas are proving to be very smart—in some ways, as smart as primates, according to Holekamp's research. They live in societies as complex as those of some primates and seem to show as much social intelligence.
Unlike the negative Hollywood stereotype, Hyenas are quite intelligent and affectionate, and that affection extends to the caretakers who always make time to shower Chipa and Chitabe with their own affection and a good scratch or two, of course.
Hyenas do produce a substance from their anal gland that scientists have nicknamed “hyena butter”—it's a paste used to mark their territories and smells like mulch, Dheer says.
First, they are really loyal animals and develop long term friendships (which we all need). Second, much like vultures, another misunderstood animal, hyenas clean up the environment and prevent diseases by eating carcasses left behind by other animals.
While the scavengers have a bad reputation in India and the Middle East, experts say striped hyenas are really rather gentle—not to mention good for the environment.
Hyenas may look significantly smaller than many predatory mammals, but their jaws are stronger than some large cats. With a vice-like grip and teeth that can tear through bone and tough meat, hyenas have a bite force of around 1,100 psi.
A hyena would win a fight against a wild dog.
The reason is simple: hyenas are just too much larger and stronger than wild dogs.
Hyenas and wild dogs are top predators competing in an unforgiving landscape. It's a classic battle that plays out over and over again in the African bush where these animals compete for the same food resources.
Spotted hyenas (also known as laughing hyenas) bring new meaning to the phrase "putting yourself out there". They greet each other by sniffing and licking each other's genitals, placing these delicate organs in close proximity to an arsenal of dangerously sharp teeth.
A hyena would win a fight against a wild dog. The reason is simple: hyenas are just too much larger and stronger than wild dogs.
Competition between hyenas and lions for resources leads to infanticide—the practice of killing each other's young. Learn why this behavior makes the two species "mortal enemies."
An unarmed human can easily kill a fully grown spotted hyena in a fight.
Hyenas seem to be smarter than other carnivores such as lions, which live in smaller groups, and which Holekamp describe as "surprisingly robot-like in their responses to situations". "Hyenas live in primate-like groups, and appear to have primate-like cognitive skills," agrees Wilson.
The “laughter” vocalization for which they are known is a high-pitched series of short gigglelike sounds. These sounds, rather than being associated with hyenas having a good time, are generally made when they are threatened or under attack. A hyena may also produce a laughterlike sound when it is frustrated.
Hyenas do indeed make loud barking noises that sound like cackling laughter, but it's not because they're amused by anything. Instead, a hyena's "laughter" is actually a form of communication used to convey frustration, excitement, or fear.
Lions are the main cause of death for hyenas in the Ngorongoro Crater. Male lions are twice the size of a spotted hyena and three to four times as heavy, and one single paw stroke can kill an adult hyena. Lions may stalk hyenas at their resting places and try to surprise hyenas approaching kills.
Lions and Other Beasts Fear Hyenas
Other smaller animals also fear hyenas. What causes such fear in many animals, including the lions, is that hyenas often fight in packs. In an aggressive group attack, they outnumber the lions by a large margin and can shred them to pieces.