hyena finds a hippo carcass - part 3 - big effort to pull out of water

Описание: this determined hyena finds a hippo carcass half in the water and works very hard to recover what it can - on safari with Kicheche Valley Camp, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Kenya

full version    • hyena finds a hippo carcass  

more hyenas:
   • African Safari - 2021 day 7 AM - cute hyen...   cute hyena cubs see parents off
   • African Safari - 2021 day 7 PM - hyena cub...   hyena cubs reuniting with family
   • African Safari - 2021 day 6 AM - four days...   hyena own the kill
   • the tailless lion's kill - part 29 - hyena...   hyenas leave buddy behind
   • four days on a lion kill - day 3 - 35 - hy...   hyena comes in for more
   • adorable hyena cubs reuniting with family ...   subadult won't let chubby cub nurse
   • the tailless lion's kill - part 19 - hyena...   hyena look for scraps as lions hide in tall grass
   • four days on a lion kill - day 3 - 25 - al...   alpha hyena comes in for another bite
   • adorable hyena cubs reuniting with family ...   low ranking sub adult gets a lot of attention

"has the strongrest-recorded bite of all carnivorous mammals—4,500 Newtons or 1,011 pounds of force." https://www.ifaw.org/journal/9-jaw-dr...

"Hyenas have a bad rap—but they’re Africa’s most successful predator: The most successful hunter in all of Africa is intelligent and loving, forming intricate social bonds that rival those of primates. Cubs of the alpha female inherit the rank immediately below hers, similar to a monarchy.

Myth: Hyenas are only scavengers.
The truth? Hyenas are excellent hunters whose spoils are more likely to be stolen by lions than the other way around. In the Serengeti in the 1970s, zoologist Hans Kruuk found that when spotted hyenas and lion share a carcass, hyenas were responsible for the kill 53 percent of the time.

Long misunderstood as dim-witted, gluttonous scavengers with a demonic laugh...In reality, these apex predators are critical to controlling prey populations and preventing the spread of disease, particularly by eating every last bit of an animal

Spotted and brown hyenas live in tight-knit clans that are led by an alpha—often a female—and include lower-ranking females, males, and young. Clan size depends mostly on prey availability, ranging from 10 members in some desert-dwelling clans to around 120 animals at the resource-rich Ngorongoro and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve

Such large and complicated groups make spotted hyenas “the most socially complex carnivores in the world,”

Myth: Hyenas laugh.
Vocalizations keep hyena societies intact: Their classic whoop serves to recruit more hyenas during a fight with lions, advertise a male’s fitness, or simply communicate with other hyenas about location. Then there’s the oft-misunderstood laugh, or giggle, which is unique to the spotted hyena.

In truth, it’s not a happy noise: A lower-ranking animal makes this laughing-like sound when it’s upset or stressed." https://www.nationalgeographic.com/an...

Tips from my trip:
Hands down, the BEST safari company in Kenya! Staying with Kicheche (Laikipia Ol Pejeta and Valley Camp, Maasai Mara) is my favorite safari experience of all time! Other places claim ‘luxury’ experiences, this one actually delivers! The lodging, food, service, location, and animal diversity and density are all amazing and make Kicheche camps your best investment.

Just like Kicheche Laikipia, Kicheche Valley Camp rocks! It’s my favorite area in the Mara – the lion prides were HUGE! Every aspect of the camp and service was extremely thoughtful without being or trying to be pretentious like other lodges/camps. The food, to include the packed breakfasts and sundowners, was consistently good and diverse. Chefs Ali and Wellington were respectful of dietary accommodations, wowed me with flavor, and plated beautiful and well-cooked food. I really appreciated that the menu was different from the Laikipia Camp, so it didn’t feel like a chain restaurant but still solid and enjoyable and consistent with the Kicheche quality.

Just like their Laikipia camp, the tented room is luxurious, but not fenced like other lodges/camps, but still well-guarded. So, you get a different experience with the wild animals so close to the camp, very fun!

At both camps, the jeeps are also standouts, the best I’ve had – with multiple plugs, camera platforms, bean bags and fully stocked with the necessities. At Kicheche Valley Camp, they have a great ‘photography jeep’ with no doors so you can get lower shots, very cool! But I found the other ‘regular’ jeep worked better if you use a tripod on the roof.

After I told my guide, Bernard, that I really enjoyed Kicheche Laikipia’s hyena den, he planned two different dens sites that I really enjoyed. He got me A LOT of great lion pride experiences, and he was eager to find me a leopard - but I asked if we could instead find the herd of eland we saw earlier, since I never saw a group of them before. So he enthusiastically tracked them and respectfully followed them as they grazed - it was really nice. I stayed 3 nights, but would do more next time.