If you’ve been on safari in Africa, you’ve likely seen a hyena – most likely a spotted hyena, or even the striped hyena, for the lucky few. But the brown hyena remains a mystery to most.
With long, shaggy coats, oversized ears, and stripey legs, these unique carnivores have a touch of the 1970s glam rockstar. Also known as the strandwolf, brown hyenas are found in Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia. Despite their wide range, it’s estimated only 5,000 to 8,000 remain, earning them a Near Threatened status on the IUCN Red List – and a rare sighting on safari.
Namibia is home to some 800-1,200 brown hyenas, around half of which inhabit the Namib Desert’s coastal region. To mark International Hyena Day, celebrated on 27 April this year, we spoke with Marie Lemerle – manager of the Brown Hyena Research Project (BHRP) in Tsau //Khaeb National Park, Namibia – to learn more about this elusive species. Since 1908, access to Tsau //Khaeb (formerly Sperrgebiet) National Park has been heavily restricted due to diamond mining. But elsewhere in this 26,000km2 wilderness, wildlife flourishes unchecked.
“Most of the park is still near pristine: it hasn’t been explored, let alone touched, for over 100 years,” says Marie. “With so little human/wildlife conflict here, we’re in the privileged position of being able to study hyenas in an environment where they are completely wild and free-ranging. Also, unusually, the coastal hyenas here are the apex predators. There are no lions here and only a few leopards further inland – so the only competition is other hyenas.”
Baker’s Bay: A Seal Smorgasbord for Hyenas
One of Marie’s key study areas is Baker’s Bay, home to a thriving seal colony that provides an all-you-can-eat buffet for the hyenas.
“It’s the desert – there’s not much else to eat,” Marie notes. “So, the hyenas rely almost entirely on marine resources, especially the seal colonies. During the heat of the day, the adult seals go into the sea to cool off, leaving their sleepy, non-swimming pups unattended. Many pups die from heat stress, so there are usually numerous carcasses for the hyenas.
“Brown hyenas are primarily scavengers; they’re not great hunters, but what’s unusual here is that, with the pups such easy prey, many hyenas have adapted to hunting them. Seals lack strong anti-predator instincts on land, so the hyenas simply walk up and grab a pup. The kill is quick – all it takes is one bite to the skull,” Marie explains.
“Interestingly, some of ‘my’ hyenas never kill and only scavenge or steal from the jackals. Others take the occasional pup if it’s an easy opportunity. Then there are those that mass kill almost every time – it all depends on the individual.”
But while the hyenas will often cache food for later, they’re terrible at hiding it.
“Whereas jackals bury their food so well you’d never know it’s there, a hyena will simply drop a carcass next to a bush or rock and hope no one finds it,” Marie adds. “Recently, one hyena killed 11 pups in a row – he kept one, cached two, and left the rest. But with so many hyenas and jackals here, nothing goes to waste.”
Dinner Sittings: When the Hyena Clans Dine
It’s thought Tsau //Khaeb hosts several hundred brown hyenas, many of which rely on Baker’s Bay as a feeding hub. Over the past four years, Marie has identified nearly 100 individuals, including those captured on camera traps.
“There are about 15 hyenas that I see regularly and can easily recognise. But the hyenas we’ve collared show some clans travel from far inland to feed here.”
Interestingly, Marie’s research into Baker’s Bay’s two resident hyena clans has shown that one only visits the colony during the day, while the dominant clan is almost entirely nocturnal.
“The hyenas fight over food, so many have bad injuries and wounds. But what’s fascinating is that the resident clans have done ‘temporal partitioning’: each clan has a different visiting time, which reduces competition and fights.”
This system also benefits older or weaker individuals. Frequent sandstorms cause many hyenas to go blind over time, so hunting alone and relying on staggered feeding times increases their chances of survival.
“Whether it’s because of the abundance of food or the fact that they’re the apex predator, but I see old hyenas daily. They don’t really care about the others. They do their own thing, look for carcasses, and sleep – they don’t go far. It sometimes feels like Baker’s Bay is the retirement home for brown hyenas!”
Want to increase your chances of spotting these elusive carnivores on your next safari? For detailed information on the best camps for brown hyena sightings, based on reports from real Expert Africa travellers, just click on the country links: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
