See How Vicious a Hyena Pack Becomes When Meat Is On the Table

There are four different types of hyenas, but they each share similar personality traits. These animals have been featured as the villains in movies about the African Savanna, but are hyenas all that bad? 

Because of a video gaining popularity online, today we’re going to focus on the spotted hyena. When you picture this animal, you likely envision this species. The footage we have for you below shows just how wild these creatures get when there is a fresh kill nearby. 

Watch How Excited Hyenas Are For Fresh Food! 

It’s a common misconception that these animals are naturally aggressive. Although we can see in the clip that they are eager to eat, they aren’t necessarily hostile. In fact, they rarely attack when alone and have a tendency to be fairly timid.  

Instead, in order to feel protected, a hyena pack constantly attacks in large numbers. When they sense danger, they frequently flee as swiftly as they can. Hyenas’ social behaviors are what worry people the most about them. 

In groups of up to 40, they can interact with each other and plan their moves. Because of this and the strength of their mouth, a hyena pack is exceedingly deadly because they can break bones with their pointed fangs.

How Does a Hyena Pack Hunt For Food?

The footage below starts with the victim already dead. How do you think the hyenas caught their lunch that day? The collaborative method of hunting can be determined by the sort of prey in addition to the hyena’s aptitude for pursuing and eliminating various prey species, as shown by the spotted hyenas.

These animals behave like dogs or wolves when hunting an animal that is larger than themselves. Hyenas hunt in cackles and bring down the target by ripping into it and pulling it to the ground. When pursuing smaller animals, they would hunt by themselves like foxes.

Hyenas fail to immediately kill their victim. After being exhausted from being pursued, their target lacks the ability to put up another defense and is thus trapped and devoured despite being alive. 

Pretty vicious, huh? 

Why Do Hyenas Have A Bad Reputation?

Hyenas are undoubtedly one of the most demonized large natural predators on the planet. They are frequently portrayed as lazy scavengers, the tyrants of the African grasslands, laughing as they band together to rob noble rivals of their hard-earned prey.

No one travels to Africa in droves to see these creatures. Hyenas are said to be the damned and the devil’s spawn in a lot of media. Unwarranted dread of hyenas has not just been spread through literature. 

Hyenas have frequently been portrayed in films as the evil antagonist, with The Lion King serving as the blockbuster that reinforces the notion. Like any other animal in the wild, hyenas are simply trying to survive. 

Is It Normal For Hyenas to Fight Over Food?

Hyenas are fierce and powerful predators, and their diet reflects this. They primarily feed on large mammals such as antelopes, wildebeests, zebras, and even buffalo. They are also known to scavenge carrion and have even been known to consume the remains of humans.

Hyenas have also been observed eating fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods. Although these foods are not the primary components of a hyena’s diet, they can provide essential nutrients and help to supplement other sources of nutrition.

Due to their fierce and powerful nature, hyenas are known to engage in fights over food. This is especially true when food is scarce and there are more animals competing for the same resources. Fights can break out between hyenas in the same pack or between hyenas from different packs. In these cases, the strongest and most dominant hyena will usually win out.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Johan Swanepoel/Shutterstock.com