In the wild, many animals face a constant competition for resources such as a space and food. A lot of larger predators hunt the same prey animals, which means they themselves often come into conflict.
Andrew Aveley caught one such conflict on the Biyamiti Bridge, on the S25 road in the Kruger National Park. His footage captures what happens when predators collide.
It appeared that a pack of wild dogs had made a kill, but there was something else that was eyeing the carcass for a potential meal, and that brave hyena decided it was worth an attempt at running the gauntlet for a full belly.
Under Supervision
Hyenas are famous for their scavenging and stealing behavior, despite the fact that almost all predators would attempt stealing another’s kill if they believed they had a chance to pull it off.
Wild dogs are one of the most successful hunters on the planet, and even they will attempt to harass other predators in the hope of scoring a free meal.
The hyena knew which animals were likely to see more success in their hunts, and it knew that if it followed these dogs for long enough, they would bring down something that it might be able to take a few bites out of itself.
The Odd One Out
Exactly what the wild dogs had managed to hunt is unclear. The long grass hid the signs of any carcass, but several of the dogs did seem to be chewing on bones.
Due to the small size of wild dogs, larger predators like lions can easily force them off a kill if they don’t have enough numbers to defend it, so these canines eat their kills very quickly when they have the opportunity.
They might have already eaten most of the carcass, and left little for the hyena to steal, but while the pack was milling around a large tree and some bushes, the brave hyena loped in from the right.
A Step Too Far
The dogs didn’t attack it en mass, which was very good news for the hyena as the dogs outnumbered it drastically. It would not have been able to survive such an attack.
It was a risky game the hyena was playing, as it must have known the intense risk of entering the area. The dogs clearly weren’t happy with its presence, and worked to deter it, but the hyena wasn’t intimidated by them.
Rather than turning tail and fleeing, the hyena kept pushing further into their territory, and this was what caused the dogs to eventually turn directly hostile.
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Ineffective Deterrent
Even then, it was only the sentry dogs that were guarding the edge of the area which attacked, rather than the entire pack. The majority of the dogs seemed quite happy to continue milling about.
The hyena backed off when the attack came, clearly of the opinion that no free meal was worth being bitten for. But the dogs didn’t take the time to chase it completely from the area, and it quickly returned on the other side of the hill, prompting the dogs to give chase once again.
