The African wild dog and the spotted hyena are two of sub-Saharan Africa’s most effective and social large carnivores. They share the same ecosystems, often targeting the same medium-sized prey, which sets the stage for intense and regular conflict. Their relationship is a complex, often violent rivalry driven by the competition for food resources. This struggle makes them fierce competitors, with one species generally posing a far greater threat to the other.
African Wild Dogs as Predators of Hyenas
African wild dogs generally do not prey on healthy, adult spotted hyenas, which are significantly larger and more powerful animals. A typical adult wild dog weighs between 40 to 80 pounds, while a spotted hyena can be more than twice that size, weighing up to 190 pounds. Direct predation on an adult hyena would present an unacceptable risk of injury or death to the wild dog pack members.
However, the question of predation changes when considering vulnerable individuals. Wild dog packs have been known to opportunistically attack and kill hyena pups that are separated from their clan or encountered outside of a den. They may also target a hyena that is already severely injured, sick, or incapacitated, viewing it as prey rather than a competitor. Such instances are extremely rare and are not considered a standard part of the wild dog’s hunting strategy or diet.
Hyenas as a Threat to Wild Dog Packs
Spotted hyenas pose a major danger to African wild dogs, reversing the flow of direct threat. Hyenas are a significant source of mortality for wild dog pups, often raiding den sites when the adult dogs are absent or distracted while hunting. Even a brief separation from the pack can lead to a fatal encounter with a hyena.
Adult wild dogs are also at risk, as hyenas will pursue, harass, and sometimes injure or kill them, especially when a dog is isolated from its pack. A spotted hyena possesses a bite force of about 1,100 pounds per square inch, which is strong enough to crush bone, giving it a massive physical advantage in a one-on-one confrontation. While a large, cohesive pack of wild dogs can often repel a solitary hyena, the situation changes quickly when multiple hyenas arrive.
The Role of Resource Competition
The frequent violent interactions are driven by the intense competition over shared food resources. Both species primarily hunt medium-sized ungulates, leading to a high degree of dietary overlap in the African savanna. This shared ecological niche means that a fresh kill made by one species often attracts the attention of the other, leading to aggressive confrontations.
Spotted hyenas are notorious for engaging in kleptoparasitism, the act of stealing a kill from another predator. African wild dogs are particularly vulnerable to this because they are smaller and their high hunting success rate means they frequently have a carcass to defend. Studies show that wild dogs can lose a percentage of their kills to hyenas, forcing them to spend more time and energy hunting to compensate. These confrontations are primarily about defending or acquiring a meal, not about eliminating a competitor for consumption.