Hyena photographs by Yvonne van der Mey

Not the most populair animal in Africa for sure, but in my sincere opinion, the hyena is often misjudged in many ways. They are often referred to as sneaky cowards that always snatch food away from other animals. Yes, they are scavengers, but they are also very good hunters and can run fast (50 km an hour) over long distances. They are excellent team-hunters, and prey on a lot of species, such as impala, wildebeest, waterbuck and kudu.

They have a matriarchal society, the family is led by the females. It is very hard to see the difference between a male and a female, since the female genitalia look exactly like the male ones. Only after a female has given birth can you see two black nipples, which makes it easier to see the difference.

The most common species is the Spotted (or Laughing) Hyena. There is a second species in Africa, the Brown Hyena, but they are very rare, and are on the CITES List of Endangered Species. All my photographs are of Spotted Hyena. I have got to know them a lot better and really appreciate them, and I enjoy every meeting with these animals.

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