African wild dogs face off against hyenas
&Beyond kirkman’s kamp and tengile river lodge
Location
Guide
Recorded by
Josh van der Ploeg
Date
Winter 2020
Safari scribbles:
The predator hierarchy is a dynamic arrangement, shifting as species and number ratios change. A single hyena against a large pack of wild dogs doesn’t stand a chance and is likely to get chased off by the smaller yet more numerous carnivores, or even ignored. But throw in a few more hyenas and the power balance shifts. When food is at stake, a war is likely. This battlefield was particularly noisy. Notice how the hyenas are successful at stealing the kill and warding off the dogs when there are only a few wild dogs in a place but then the hyena left stranded becomes a target for the wild dogs once they have ganged up together. They easily encircle and nip at the hyena’s vulnerable flanks.
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