A Rare Find, A Rare Species of Hyena

BROWN HYENA Bruin hiëna — hyaena brunnea

The brown hyena occurs in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and South Africa. It is currently the rarest type of hyena species. There is little difference in the size and appearance of the sexes. The brown hyena's social hierarchy can be compared to that of wolves, and there is a male alpha and a female alpha. Each hyena typically hunts on its own, and they don't stake off a territory but keep to usual hunting routes. Emigration from one group to another is common, especially among young male hyenas. A litter can yield one to five cubs, which remain in their den for up to 14 months. Brown hyenas are mainly scavengers who feed on carcasses caught by larger animals. Their diet is supplemented with insects, eggs, fruits, fungi (the desert !abbas — kalaharituber pfeilii) and rodents. In the Kalahari, springhares, springbuck lambs, bat-eared foxes and korhaan account for only 4.2% of their diet, while on the Namibian coast a mere 2.9% of their total intake consists of fur seal cubs.