DNA Test Reveals Wild Dog relatives in Africa Are Actually Hyenas

In a recent DNA study that was published in the journal "Nature Ecology and Evolution", scientists found that the wild dog populations in Africa are actually more closely related to hyenas than they are to domestic dogs. This came as a surprise to many, as the two animals look and behave quite differently.

The study used high-quality genomic data from 979 wild dogs and 1,023 hyenas from 38 countries. The analysis showed that the two species shared a common ancestor about 2 million years ago. Wild dogs are now considered a separate sister species of the Eurasian wolf, and the African golden wolf is now considered to be a separate species from both of them.

The study also found that African wild dogs are very genetically diverse, which is unusual for such a small population. This may be because they once ranged over much of Africa but have since been pushed into smaller and more isolated areas.

Hyenas are often thought of as scavengers, but they can also be very successful predators. They are well known for their distinctive laugh-like call, which is actually made by the female when she is in heat. Hyenas are also one of only a few mammalian species that exhibit Gender bending; meaning that the females act like males and control access to food and mates.

While it is still not entirely clear why the two species evolved to look and behave so differently, it is thought that this may be due to differences in ecological niches. Wild dogs mostly hunt small prey like antelope, while hyenas will take down larger prey like zebras and wildebeest.

Lion and Hyena Share Den at Cincinnati Zoo

Lion and hyena share den at Cincinnati Zoo It's not every day you see a lion and a hyena sharing a den at the zoo, but that's what happened recently at the Cincinnati Zoo. The two animals were so close, they were even seen licking each other's faces.

Zookeepers say the two animals seem to have formed a bond and are now sharing the same space in the den. They believe it is because the lion is young and has no siblings, so he is looking for companionship.

The hyena is said to be very tolerant of the lion and lets him do whatever he wants. The lion has even been seen resting his head on top of the hyena.

This unlikely friendship is providing a lot of entertainment for zoo visitors, who are snapping pictures of the unusual scene.

Photographer Captures Rare interaction of Lions and Hyenas

Award-winning wildlife photographer, Paul Goldstein, recently captured a rare interaction between two of the Big Five animals — lions and hyenas.

The sighting happened in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve where a group of six lions was seen chasing a single hyena. The hyena attempted to defend itself by running towards a jackal pack for help, but the lions quickly dispatched of the smaller animals. After dispatching of the jackals, they turned their attention back to the hyena, which ultimately met its fate.

According to Goldstein, this is only the second time he has ever witnessed lions hunting hyenas. The first time was also in Masai Mara, almost 20 years ago. He believes that the unusual interaction is due to the fact that there is an increasing lack of prey available for both species.

This isn't the first time that Goldstein has captured exceptional images of Africa's wildlife. Some of his most famous shots include a pride of lionesses stalking and capturing an unsuspecting zebra and a solitary leopard lounging in a tree.

Threatened hyenas thriving in protected areas

Threatened hyenas are thriving in protected areas due to the lack of human disturbance and access to food. A study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley found that hyenas living in protected areas were six times more likely to be alive than those living outside of protected areas.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, used camera traps to monitor hyena populations in 60 protected and 60 unprotected areas across East Africa for four years. Results showed that there were 2.5 times as many hyenas living in protected areas as there were living outside of them.

The research team believes that the main drivers behind these findings are humans' increasing disturbance of natural ecosystems and access to food resources. They suggest that policies which create more protected areas and restrict human access to these areas could help to safeguard threatened carnivore species like the African wild dog and lion.

Hyenas have a bad reputation as cowardly scavengers, but they are actually very powerful predators that play a vital role in their ecosystems by regulating prey populations. In Africa, hyenas can be found in various habitats including deserts, grasslands, and forests.

There are nine species of hyena worldwide, eight of which occur in Africa. The spotted hyena is the most common species, followed by the striped hyena. The brown hyena is restricted to arid regions of southern Africa, and the aardwolf is found only in Africa's savannas. The slender-footed golden hyena occurs only in north-central Africa, and the two remaining species, the regal mountain hyena and the Egyptian wolf-hyena, are both rare and endangered.

Are hyenas laughing at us?

Hyenas have a well-deserved reputation for being sneaky, vicious, and ruthless predators. But are they also laughing at us?

For many years, scientists believed that hyenas produced a "laughter" sound to communicate with each other. However, recent research has shown that this laughter is actually a warning call that alerts other hyenas to potential danger.

So why do people refer to the laughter of hyenas as "laughter"? It turns out that the high-pitched call of the spotted hyena is very similar to the human laugh sound. This similarity may have led to its mistaken identification as laughter by early observers.

Despite their sinister reputations, hyenas are fascinating animals with unique adaptations and behavioural strategies. In fact, they are some of the most successful predators in Africa.

So next time you hear a "laughing" hyena, remember that it's really trying to tell you something!