Scientifically known as Hyaena brunnea (or P arahyaena brunnea ), the so-called brown hyena , or brown hyena , is a carnivorous mammal that belongs to the Hyaenidae family.
We find it throughout southern Africa, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe or Mozambique. Moreover, although it can live in the wooded savanna, it is very common for it to be able to survive even in much more extreme places , such as desert or semi-desert areas, such as the Namib desert or the Kalahari desert.
Unlike the spotted hyena, the brown hyena tends to be somewhat smaller in size , measuring up to 136 centimeters in length, and weighing around 45 kg. In addition, in terms of appearance, it stands out mainly for the large mane that writes its back and shoulders, and it is easily recognizable by its slender and long ears, and the hindquarters lower than the shoulders.
But, although it is considered a “bad” hunter, in reality it has something very fearsome, as it happens with the other species of hyena: it has a powerful jaw .
However, unlike spotted hyenas, which tend to live and hunt in groups, the brown hyena is usually more solitary, especially if they are male. In fact, females are the only ones that usually live in small groups. Although it has a habit of going out to look for food alone , which makes it unable to attack large prey , such as zebras, wildebeest, buffalo or gazelle.
Hence, it tends to take advantage mainly of carrion , although it is even capable of eating fruits, eggs or insects when it finds them, or of hunting much smaller mammals. What’s more, did you know that it is also coprophagous ? This means that it can feed on excrement .
It is also usually a territorial animal, so that several individuals, mainly females, can share the same territory of between 20 to 400 square kilometers. And they can maintain a family bond .
It is a nocturnal , solitary mammal independent of water. Although this does not mean that you cannot, at times, be active in daylight, although if you do, it is usually especially at the beginning or end of the day. In fact, it is common to spend the hottest hours in the shelter of bushes, rose holes or anteater burrows.
It is estimated that only around 8,000 individuals would remain , which is why the brown hyena is classified as a “near threatened species” on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
But, as experts warn, in addition to its own natural predators (such as the spotted hyena, the leopard or the lion), it is also a victim of humans , who fragment its habitat, mainly with the construction of railways and roads.
In addition, she is killed by ranchers , who “accuse” her of being a threat to their livestock. All this despite the fact that there are quite a few studies that, on the contrary, show that the brown hyena actually attacks domestic animals very little.
Not only that, it can also be slaughtered by hunters in search of a trophy. While, finally, its bones are commonly used in traditional medicine in the countries where it is usually found.
