The Hyaenidae family includes four species: the highly social Spotted Hyena, the Brown Hyena, the Striped Hyena, and the insectivorous Aardwolf. Although the Spotted Hyena is often considered a top predator, all hyenas are subject to predation. They occupy a complex ecological niche where they are both hunters and competitors, leading to lethal interactions with other large carnivores and contributing to their vulnerability.
Primary Predators of Adult Hyenas
The African lion is the most significant threat to a healthy, adult spotted hyena. These encounters are driven by intense competition over shared prey resources and territorial disputes, not hunger. Lions actively seek out and kill hyenas, often without consuming the carcass, a behavior known as interspecific killing. This antagonistic relationship results in a high mortality rate for the hyena population. While a single lion avoids a large clan, a pride will readily target isolated or small groups to reduce future competition for food.
Other large predators pose threats depending on the hyena’s location and species. Nile crocodiles are opportunistic predators that will kill and consume hyenas attempting to cross or drink from a river, especially in regions like the Serengeti. While African wild dogs rarely target adult spotted hyenas, large packs may occasionally kill an isolated individual during fierce territorial clashes or resource defense. Leopards may also prey on smaller hyena species, but they are less of a threat to a full-grown spotted hyena.
Vulnerability of Hyena Cubs and Juveniles
The earliest stages of a hyena’s life are the most dangerous, with mortality rates highest for cubs and juveniles before they reach independence. Spotted hyena mothers initially give birth in a secluded den. Within weeks, they move their offspring to a communal den shared with other clan members. This arrangement offers protection from external predators, as the entrance holes are often too small for large carnivores like lions to enter.
However, the communal den introduces an internal threat: infanticide by conspecifics. Infanticide, where an adult female kills the cub of a rival, is a leading cause of juvenile mortality in some populations. The attackers are typically higher-ranking adult females who eliminate the offspring of lower-ranking rivals to maintain their family line’s social dominance and control over resources.
The killing is often accomplished by crushing the cub’s skull, a common predatory technique hyenas use on small prey. Beyond infanticide, cubs are at risk from lions, which are known to raid dens at night to kill the young, viewing them as future competitors. Even among littermates, fratricide can occur, where one cub, typically the stronger one, attacks and sometimes fatally wounds its sibling shortly after birth.
Factors Contributing to Individual Vulnerability
A hyena’s vulnerability is situational, depending heavily on its social status, physical condition, and species. The highly social spotted hyena draws its strength from its clan, making a lone individual significantly more susceptible to attack. An adult separated from its group is an easy target for a lion or a large group of African wild dogs, which would otherwise avoid a confrontation with a full clan.
Physical impairment, whether from sickness, injury, or old age, dramatically increases vulnerability. A hyena slowed by a wound is easier to catch and kill, making it susceptible to opportunistic predators that would typically avoid a healthy adult. For instance, a leopard might successfully prey upon an injured hyena, even though it usually avoids a healthy adult spotted hyena.
Vulnerability varies across the four hyena species. The Striped Hyena and Brown Hyena are smaller and more solitary than the Spotted Hyena, facing a broader spectrum of predators. These solitary species are easily overpowered by animals like leopards, large packs of wild dogs, and wolves in the Striped Hyena’s range. The smallest species, the insect-eating Aardwolf, is vulnerable to smaller carnivores, such as jackals.