大象传媒

Spotted hyenas live in close-knit clans which can bulldoze their way into a carcass. While the scrum may look like the epitome of social chaos, there is a strict hierarchy in which females reign supreme. With their fiercely acidic stomachs, each hyena can bolt down several kilos of flesh, hide and bone in a matter of minutes. Spotted hyenas are the most abundant large carnivores in Africa and their massive teeth are the signature of their trade. The back teeth of a spotted hyena, for example, can exert a thunderous pressure of 700 psi. But the spotted hyena's trump card is in its strength as a group. Using sheer intimidation and strength in numbers, they can drive a group of lions away from a kill even though each lioness is twice a hyena's weight. In the Serengeti, lions steal from hyenas as often as hyenas steal from lions, and the balance of power hinges entirely on strength of numbers. A buffalo stolen from under the noses of lions is a prize worth the effort as will feed the whole mob.