Hyenas are usually on the move, never lingering for long at one spot, unless you find a mother with her cubs. For this reason, my photos of hyenas usually show only their backside moving away.
On my latest trip to Kruger, we spied two hyenas leaving a watering hole on the trail of something. We later saw some zebra and giraffe in the area, but our vehicle brought a new smell to the area, the smell of two hamburgers brought along as snacks by some of my fellow safari goers. The hyenas spent a whole five minutes near us, with one intensely smelling us, as my photos show.
Cruncher: Snickers, hurry up! I smell something tasty!
Cruncher: I can’t tell if it is dead or alive, but it smells like buffalo.
Snickers: Oh yeah, Cruncher, I’ve got the smell. It was right here.
Snickers: Cruncher! Something is watching us! Cruncher: That’s not food. There’s more scent here.
Cruncher: I smell live zebra. I’m gonna check it out. Snickers: I’ve still got the buffalo you smelled. I need to figure out what’s going on here with this big box on the path.
Snickers: There’s something moving inside. And, oh, the smell!
Snickers: Cruncher, I’m going up close. The smell is here. It’s inside the box.
Snickers: Mmmmm.
Snickers: Cruncher, I’ve got it. You want some?
Cruncher: Give it up, Snickers. I said that’s not food. There’s some better looking zebra right here. Let’s kill one.
Snickers: But Cruncher, there’s meat right there. I can still smell it. Cruncher: C’mon, Snickers. Let’s go get this zebra and have a feast.
Special thanks to Taylor for the hyena names!
Great shots I am glad they did not jump in to the Jeep like the leapard on the news did this morning
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I’m glad, too! The guide told us about a time a lion jumped on the hood of his jeep, which didn’t even have a windshield up. It was also following a scent.