The hyena cubs had chosen the H1-1, a road between the park’s Skukuza camp and Paul Kruger Gate as their playground.
The sight of the hyena cubs tumbling and chasing each other provided for some endearing viewing.
However, these jovial antics by the little ones actually play an important part in their development. It’s through play that they will learn some of the essential skills they will need as adults.
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Play in young hyenas helps them strengthen social bonds, establish dominance hierarchies, and practice skills they will need as adults, such as wrestling, biting, and chasing.
An opportunity to learn important skills
These playful interactions also help them build muscle coordination and endurance for future hunts and clan defense.
These little hyenas gave each other small nips and wrestled each other to the ground. They had a good go at each other… all in the name of fun, and skill development.
It can be painful when your brother or sister bites you on the snout, however, in this instance, all was done in the spirit of lighthearted play.
Spotted hyena litters usually consist of one to three cubs, with two being the most common. The cubs are born in a den, often hidden away in rocky crevices or abandoned aardvark burrows, and emerge after a few weeks to interact with others in the clan.
Unlike many predators, hyenas have a matriarchal society, meaning females are dominant over males, and this dominance is visible even in cub play.
The two jostled it out on the road, not minding the spectators who were enthralled by their cuteness.
At one point, they stopped to ‘look at the camera’, however, their playful instincts kicked in again and they were soon tumbling about and lashing out at one another on the tarmac again.
Cubs call it a day and head back to Mom
All this happened while their mother was close by. She kept a close watch on her little two and they eventually made their way across the road to her, somewhat less playful and more serious.
A last nip on the ankle of one cub by the other marked the end of the morning’s playing. It was a poignant, beautiful scene to watch.
Too often hyena are classed as ‘pesky scavengers’, however this rare sighting showed how complex and dynamic interactions between clan members can be. You couldn’t help but fall in love with the little ones who put on a first-class show for game viewers to the park.
Spotted hyenas are larger and more powerful than many people expect. Adult females, which are bigger than males, can measure up to 1,7m in length and stand about 80cm tall at the shoulder. They typically weigh between 60 and 80kg, while males are slightly smaller at 45 to 60kg.
They are also superb endurance runners, capable of maintaining speeds of 50km/h over short distances and trotting for many kilometers when pursuing prey.
These predators are not just scavengers, as often believed. Spotted hyenas are skilled hunters, capable of bringing down wildebeest, zebra, and antelope in coordinated group hunts.
Their powerful jaws can crush bones with ease, allowing them to extract marrow , a nutrient source many other predators cannot access.
The cubs seen playing along the road will one day grow into these formidable hunters, carrying forward the strength and social complexity that make hyenas such fascinating creatures.
