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Spotted Hyena / Leopard Account compilation; Including the full story behind the 'Leopard kill' image!
Topic Started: May 11 2012, 12:12 AM (30,786 Views)
chui
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Peter Turnbull-Kemp, an experienced game warden who had experience observing leopards and other wildlife throughout Africa but primarily southern Africa seems to suggest leopards are perfectly able to defend kills from lone hyenas.

From his book, "The Leopard" 1967.

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Jonathan Scott of Big Cat Diary whose experience is mainly in the Masai Mara of Kenya, suggests that while female leopards are easily dominated male leopards are much more able and willing to take on lone hyenas.

From his book, "Big Cat Diary: Leopard" 2006.

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However, even female leopards may occasionally defend their kills. As this account originally from Jonathan Scott provided in the book, "Wildcats of the World" by the Sunquists shows. Impressive display of strength by this female.

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In the Kalahari desert it seems leopards are less willing to take on hyenas.

From "Hyena Nights & Kalahari Days".

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Trevor Carnaby in his book, "Beat About the Bush" 2008, suggests this is due to the smaller size of the desert leopards and that the larger leopards of the woodland savannas are not so easily intimidated.

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Another possible reason may be that in the Kalahari desert there are fewer scavenging opportunities for leopards due to much lower predator densities and thus an inhibiting injury may be more detrimental in this relatively barren environment. In the woodland savannas leopards especially mature males are frequent scavengers, routinely stealing kills from females and younger leopards as well as kills of other predators which may be left unattended.

In the woodland savannas, where the majority of the accounts and info in this thread are from I think adult male leopards and adult spotted hyenas are fairly evenly matched. Neither seems to clearly dominate the other in one on one encounters as most of these accounts show. Though hyenas do generally seem to dominate female and young leopards.
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Canidae
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Great accounts Chui, thanks for posting.

The first seems a little dated perhaps - I haven't heard of Striped Hyaena forming large groups unless perhaps a mother with grown offspring. Also, Kruger / Southern Spotted Hyaena may be less bold due to their more solitary lives, lower densities and smaller size compared to other regions. They are more frequent scavengers and less likely to engage other predators from info further in Hyena Nights & Kalahari Days.

In the Kalahari I think - from info in the book I posted in the Hyaena behaviour thread - that there is less food in the desert and so hyaena are more 'serious'. They are also more likely to engage in serious alteractions with Lions in the Kalahari, so it is likely the are more serious and aggressive with Leopards too.

Though I would agree with your conclusion that they are evenly matched and dominance is variable.
Edited by Canidae, Jun 19 2012, 02:35 AM.
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k9boy
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Great post chui, and welcome back (sorry i'm abit late)
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Canidae
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I recentley bought the book 'Windown Onto Wilderness' by Peter Cullen, it is essientially a huge series of accounts from all places of animal behaviour and interaction from all across East Africa. This book is also where the Leopard / Bull Eland kill account comes from.
There are plenty of predator intra / interspecific interaction and this one of a Hyena-killing Leopard :

"A Leopard that had to be shot in Amboseli possessed the curious habit of killing hyenas, and then hanging them up in trees. There were no signs that the animal actually liked hyena meat, or that it killed these scavengers if interrupted during a meal; it was just a sort of phobia. Once, this leopard killed a hyena a few yards away from where a couple of Game Scouts were sleeping. It hung the carcass of its kill high up in a thorn tree, within 200 yards of another tree-borne carcass of a hyena killed five days before."
Wildlife Society Journal 1961


*Age, sex, species (Striped too are found in Kenya) and gender nor no. killed of hyena were not specified.
* It is interesting it was the same cat; similar to Bailey's account with hyenas and similarly when Leopards take out prey out of the ordinary. Perhaps the Maxabeni young male may be one in later life!
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Kurtz
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May 11 2012, 12:12 AM


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Two Londolozi accounts -




Things to note -
- In the second, despite the presence of a large female (likely the matriach / mother) and a sub-adult / male, they still bring the cubs out to feed with a male Leopard in the area.
- Also a comparison of hyena day vs. night behaviour, the in the first, daytime video the hyena more tentativley feeds alongside the Leopard whereas in the second it chases it straight off the kill.
First Video in Zambia where leopards are smaller than Kruger

II and III video 2 years males about 15 kilograms smaller than adult territorial male and much more weaker than difference in weight can tell respect to a territorial one.

But at least we have the same problem with roles reversed.
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 9 2012, 02:25 AM.
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Kurtz
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Definitely a clash between a spotted hyena female 5 years and a (similar kruger size) leopard territorial male of 5 years would be a clash extremely rugged and spectacular.
The problem is that to have a clash similar need of a surge voltage on both sides between subjects who have had some "disagreement" above, together with drop in demographic balance of both species.
Only in this way could be a clash between high-level adults.
In fact, the lack of territoriality, a vital element, makes it very unlikely a clash between two adults and dominant
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 9 2012, 02:38 AM.
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Canidae
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Kurtz
Sep 9 2012, 02:20 AM
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May 11 2012, 12:12 AM


--------------
Two Londolozi accounts -




Things to note -
- In the second, despite the presence of a large female (likely the matriach / mother) and a sub-adult / male, they still bring the cubs out to feed with a male Leopard in the area.
- Also a comparison of hyena day vs. night behaviour, the in the first, daytime video the hyena more tentativley feeds alongside the Leopard whereas in the second it chases it straight off the kill.
First Video in Zambia where leopards are smaller than Kruger

II and III video 2 years males about 15 kilograms smaller than adult territorial male and much more weaker than difference in weight can tell respect to a territorial one.

But at least we have the same problem with roles reversed.
I didn't realise they were smaller in Zambia, thanks for pointing it out. Though the cat that stuck around to defend the kill seemed similar in size to the hyaena.

And you were right, the two displaced by the Leopard in the first video were the Maxabeni 3:3 and Maxabeni 3:2 brother males, and so more likely to give up. I uploaded the full Londolozi story for all their accounts in the O.P too. :)

Also, here's a link to Channel 4's Elephant : Life after Death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbVBl9zWt54

The whole documentary has interesting Leopard / hyaena dynamics, such as a small group fleeing at the scent of a single female leopard, only for an aggressive female hyaena to later return and displace an adult male Leopard.

Edit : I also agree. It'd be interesting to see what the 'spark' required for a fully aggressive fight would be.
Edited by Canidae, Sep 9 2012, 02:45 AM.
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Kurtz
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I have serious doubts about the possibility of a leopard in Zambia has the same dimensions of a hyena, unfortunately in my country I can not see the video you posted recently.
In any case, for example, The Clash of Sand River male and adult hyena (i think due her important dimensions) is due to the fact that the two of them already know.
It 's just my suspicion, but it is interesting as a survey.
In fact I think that especially the adult specimens are known very well to each other and often those rare day there are clashes between adults because I see the absence of intervention by other hyenas more frequently during the day than at night.
But this is only speculation, unfortunately the lack of data is impressive
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 9 2012, 03:01 AM.
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Kurtz
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The Tugwaan male leopard steals a warthog from a lone hyena at Londolozi Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park in South Africa... Moments later the hyena returns and he challenges it and then attempts to hoist the carcass.

In the last months seem that in Londolozi is not more clear who are scavengers and who are predators(see Cam pan male scavenging)
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 11 2012, 07:52 AM.
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FelinePowah
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Not sure if this has been shown

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Kurtz
Sep 11 2012, 07:49 AM

The Tugwaan male leopard steals a warthog from a lone hyena at Londolozi Game Reserve, bordering the Kruger National Park in South Africa... Moments later the hyena returns and he challenges it and then attempts to hoist the carcass.

In the last months seem that in Londolozi is not more clear who are scavengers and who are predators(see Cam pan male scavenging)
Look at how thick / dark the spots are, still quite a young individual, must be a female if it's that ballsy.

Nice find Kurtz, just checked Londolozi and realised it was today's story, here's the text from the account :
Tugwaan Male Steals Kill and Evades Hyena
"James Siwela and I came across fresh male leopard pug marks in the soft dust alongside a dry river bed. We slowly followed the tracks down the road and soon heard the rasping call of a leopard a short distance from us. We rushed back to the vehicle and excitedly explained to the guests that the leopard that we were following was only a short distance from us and that we should find it shortly. Back in the vehicle we carried on down the road and found what we had been looking for. Casually walking down the road was the Tugwaan male calling and scent marking on his northern territorial boundry."

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The Tugwaan Male Leopard approaches the stolen carcass, clearly with the intent to take it from the hyena.

Five minutes after finding the leopard we heard a warthog distress call in the distance. The leopard pricked his ears forward in interest and suddenly darted down the road towards the noise. In a flash of rosettes he sprinted towards the thicket line with us on his tail trying to see what he was charging towards. To our amazement we saw a hyena beginning to feed on a large warthog sow. The leopard rushed in without a thought, chased off the hyena and grabbed hold of the warthogs throat to begin dragging it down towards a large ravine about 100 metres away.

As the Tugwaan male had the carcass in his jaws the hyena made several attempts to steal back his meal. I have never seen such bravado from a leopard as every time the hyena made a lunge for the kill, the leopard would charge towards the hyena fangs flashing and the most guttural growl, and then sprint back to his kill, standing over in snarling with pure aggression and strength. While all of this was happening, the Maxabeni female appeared and began to follow the procession. We worked out that she must have made the kill and the hyena robbed her only to lose it to the tugwaan male!


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The Maxabeni Female Leopard after losing her warthog to a hyena.

The Tugwaan male picked up his won quarry and made for the thicket line passing through a small ravine. As he passed through the ravine he scared a bushbuck ewe out of a thicket. Little did we know what was about to happen next! The hyena followed through the ravine and came across the bushbucks tiny lamb hiding in a thicket. The hyena snatched it up in its jaws and tore off through the bush with the tiny animal.


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In an attempt to avert the kill being stolen back, the Tugwaan male drags the stolen warthog to a nearby tree.

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The Tugwaan Male chased the hyena away from kill in a burst of speed and aggression.

The Tugwaan male eventually made it to the base of a large weeping boer bean tree and pulled the carcass of the warthog in to the shade of the large tree. He was absolutely exhausted from the whole event to he lay up in the shade straddling the carcass and attempting to catch his breath. No more the five minutes later we saw in the distance the familiar lope of the spotted hyena with a slightly larger belly. The hyena sniffed the air and yet again picked up the scent of the leopard and the carcass and rushed in trying to steal back the meat.


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Just before reaching the tree, he stops to feed and see the hyena approaching.

The Tugwaan male was having none of it and grabbed the carcass once more and dashed up the tree only to fall out. Again the hyena rushed in and again the leopard attemped to hoist the kill, only to fall out of the tree. The third attempt from the hyena saw the Tugwaan male give up on hoisting and decided to charge after the hyena, sending him scuttling off into the bush. The leoard had finally got his message across and lay up in the shade resting and feeding for the better part of the day.


Filmed and Photographed by: Ann Perry and Mary Strabel (Londolozi Guests)
Written by: Lucien Beaumont

http://blog.londolozi.com/2012/09/tugwaan-male-steals-kill-and-evades-hyena/


And thanks F.P.

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1977marc
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The airstrip male taking down a full grown male kudu en defending it against a hyena

Airstrip male is a medium sized but agressive dominant tom leopard (lost in a fight againat Tyson not to long ago)

he Airstrip male was found resting alongside the fallen beast, and was feeding intermittently off the carcass. It was a huge kudu bull, and we are not sure what the cause of his death was, as it would be an extraordinary feat for any leopard to kill an antelope of this size and speed. Perhaps the kudu died by other means, and the cunning leopard was once again on hand to cash in. If the Airstrip male did in fact execute this kill, he would have had to use all of his skill and experience, as well as some exceptional circumstances to get it right. The kudu was found below a steep portion of the bank along the Sand River that forms a small cliff. After all the rain that we have had this week, the mud along the bank had become incredibly slippery, and it is likely that the kudu lost all advantage when he was chased off the edge of the slippery bank. We can only speculate. There was now the opportunity for the male leopard to feed for the next coming days. There would be enough meat to allow a leopard to feed for an extended period, but it was not long before the Airstrip male had to share with a hyena that discovered the carcass. The animals alternated between feeding, and we only witnessed one occasion when there was serious aggression between the old enemies. This happened when the leopard decided he was hungry and left his place of rest in the shade nearby, heading toward the carcass. Meanwhile, the hyena was still feeding. The Airstrip male came apon the hyena, and after some physical persuasion the hyena was sufficiently intimidated and left the scene.
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Kurtz
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@ Canidae
Yes.
The spots on the fur of the hyena can vary even due to specimens and subspecies.
Surely that female hyena is fully grown and not smaller than Tugwan male leopard(about 70 kilos).

@ Marc

Is that account from Mala Mala?
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 12 2012, 07:50 PM.
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Kurtz
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Linyanti Leopard and Hyena Clash

May 11, 2011 by janieharmsen


"When an adult hippo died a few hundred metres from the Linyanti River recently, it caused a free for all feeding frenzy amongst the resident carnivores. A clan of spotted hyena were seen dominating the carcass – tearing open its belly and feasting on a large portion of the meat. After having fed until they were full they moved away to cool off and have a drink in the nearby water. Others were content to lie in the shade and digest their meal in peace and quiet – until a male leopard arrived in the scene to see what was left of the carcass. He began biting at the hippo’s leg, struggling to free any meat form the tough skin of the leg. It looked as if he was trying to sever the leg and make off with it. He struggled along, making do by biting and gulping down bits of flesh. Later on, as the sun began to set, a hyena decided to return to the carcass. He settled opposite the leopard and began feeding. The leopard, however, decided he was not going to share this meal withy the hyena and made a suuden, snarling rush at the hyena. A clash between a male leopard and an adult hyena can be unpredictable. Sometimes the hyena will be scared off whilst at other times; the leopard may come off second best. The outcome of the fight is often dependant on the motivation – quite simply – who is the hungriest. Sustained attacks with major injury are not common as it runs survival risks for both parties. In this fight, it was the male leopard who stood to loose the most. The hyena, with its bulging tummy, had no will to fight and backed off. The leopard settled down to continue his feed. The next day, when the hyena’s returned for some scraps, the leopard was gone."
http://www.safari.co.uk/blog/tag/hyena
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Kurtz
Sep 12 2012, 07:48 PM
@ Canidae
Yes.
The spots on the fur of the hyena can vary even due to specimens and subspecies.
Surely that female hyena is fully grown and not smaller than Tugwan male leopard(about 70 kilos).

@ Marc

Is that account from Mala Mala?
In Hans Kruuk's book he found hyaena spots fade and become less clear / numerous with age, like a human's head of hair goes grey. That individual had big, blotchy black ones.
However, temperment / aggression is affected by clan rank, so it was likely the daughter of a high ranking female / matriach.
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