Hyaena

Female Hyaena cleaning up junior after a feed.

This young Hyaena followed our car early one morning in the Kruger Park. It appeared to be lost and was making its deep whooping sounds obviously trying to communicate. It was also quite wet from walking through the dew drenched grass early in the morning.

Blood drenched Hyaena walks towards us from its Impala kill in the Mashatu Game Reserve.

Nothing like sleeping next to your rotting kill. Territorial imperative I guess. Shot taken early one winter morning in Mashatu Game Reserve.

Female Hyaena taking some left overs back to her den in Mashatu Game Reserve.

This female Hyaena seemed unfazed by the youngester messing around in front of her.

Busy night, warm sun so time to chill. This young male Hyaena seems to be relaxing all on his own.

Male Hyaena sunning himself in Mashatu Game Reserve.

A male Hyaena carefully trying to show some attention to a female in an open stoney area in Mashatu Game Reserve.

Hyaena female sunning herself in the early morning in winter in the Mashatu Game Reserve.

Hyaena cub at the den in the Mashatu Game Reserve. It was shady and cool for the Hyaenas but made more difficult photography and for obvious reasons it was not wise to try to get an eye-level perspective.

Hyaena matriarch allowing her cub to suckle at the den in a shady glade from trees next to the Matabole River in Mashatu Game Reserve.

Bonecrusher queen showing her gentle side. This Hyaena den was in a glade of trees next to the river in Mashatu Game Reserve.

A young female Hyaena suckling her youngster next to the den in Mashatu.

There were about eight Hyaenas feeding on a giraffe, which died of old age in Mashatu. When Hyaenas feed, all is quiet for a while and then all hell breaks loose and one feeder is punished.

A quiet feeding moment – peace for now as they feed on a giraffe carcass, which is about three days old.

The quiet did not last long before another skirmish broke out.

A young female Hyaena lying quietly allowing her reasonably big pup to suckle. They were lying outside their den near the Limpopo river in Mashatu.

Quiet feeding time!

Hyaena are very cute at this age.

A close up of a Hyaena pup which is a couple of months old.

Hyaena at Klein Namitoni water hole as the sun was rising over Etosha

Hyaena returning from its foraging across Fisher’s Pan in Etosha

Inquisitive Hyaena in Mashatu

Hyaena mum brings her three pups out in the late afternoon sun in Mashatu

Matriarch in her den

Young Hyaena taking a break on a scouting expedition

Young male Hyaena crushing an old dry Elephant bone

Young male Hyaena demolishing an unfortunate Wildebeest which much have made the Mara river crossing only to be killed by a predator on the west bank

Young male Hyaena demolishing an unfortunate Wildebeest next to the Mara river. This Hyaena was steadily crushing and eating the skull, flesh and skin