This is just another case as to how intelligent hyaenas are.
With her predicament of 3 cubs and only 2 teats to suckle from the mother hyaena leaves the den with 2 of her cubs, preventing the third one from following her. She is then able to suckle the 2 in peace and give them all her attention. She then returns to the den with her 2, leaves them there now fully satiated and moves off to suckle the 3rd cub all on its own. No doubt the 3rd cub is a male.
Today my travels took me to Colorado where I’m staying on a ranch in the blue river valley. Stunning place with the aspens turning their yellow autumn colours and in the distance mountain peaks covered in snow. Not a bad place to be, hey?! Tomorrow I plan to sneak around hoping to photograph elk, moose, pronghorns and black bears. And maybe a coyote.
26th September 2000
Tjololo had moved his carcass into a tree with some foliage and had passed out totally satiated. With no activity coming out of him we hit the trail again to look for other action.
That proved to be equally unproductive.
Back with Tjololo, he’d moved on a short distance but was again sleeping. Then Dale called not far off where he’d picked up 3 lions having just killed an adult male impala. We joined him as they wrestled with each other hoping to get the “lions share”. It’s always quite humorous to see one lion grab hold of the carcass and attempt to tug it away from the others. All the time that it’s holding on the others are feeding away making the most of the situation. We often wonder which animal gets a better deal, the ones eating while the other hangs on, or the one that eventually gets away with the remains.
Tjololo was still resting and we got a couple of hours sleep. Soon after midnight he was on the move. Surprisingly he left the carcass and went on a walkabout for some 6 hours. Along the Kapen river he bumped into Masuli but interestingly they both avoided each other and went off in opposite directions.
When Tjololo got back to his kill there was a female leopard in the area but she moved off seeing him approaching. He sniffed around but didn’t pursue after her. We think it was the Kapen female.
We left Tjololo back at his kill and the Mala Mala rangers arriving there thought he’d been a useless slob all night as he was still at his kill. Little did they realize that through the night he’d been on a 6 hour stroll as well as having bumped into his opposition.
This is often the case when one doesn’t spend the whole time with an animal. One often jumps to the wrong conclusion.
With only 2 teats to suckle 3 cubs this hyaena mother’s in a predicament. Usually hyaenas suckle their young for long periods at a time and it’s a peaceful time which is also very important for bonding. But these cubs are continuously fighting for a teat. Will these cubs survive as they’re hardly getting to suckle or will the mother come up with a new strategy to suckle her cubs? After all hyaenas are very intelligent.
My luggage didn’t arrive in time for my function last night, but luckily there was time to purchase a new pair of shoes, so I didn’t have an excuse to go barefoot.
The evening was fun with piles of glamour. None of which exists normally in my life, although I do find my work rather glamorous. But unfortunately Hyaenas didn’t win. The Eye of the Leopard rightfully took the honours. Congratulations to my friends Dereck and Beverly Joubert!
25th September 2000
What was a really great night for us, turned into frustration when we found the cam to have been down all night.
Tjololo was on the move early in the evening. After a failed attempt on a large herd of impala he later moved on to a burnt area. Here he picked up 2 female impala and followed them for quite a distance. He found it difficult to get in close as the fire had removed all the grass cover and he now had to make use of the stems of trees. Eventually he took a chance, and charging in from about 40m he caught the impala. He had difficulty in controlling it, but did eventually get his jaws clamped around its throat amidst clouds of dust. Then he dragged it some 200m. Realizing no hyaenas were on their way he proceeded to feed on the ground again going straight for the foetus. Having savoured that he proceeded to open up the stomach and having tried to remove the stomach contents he treed the carcass. All safe, he returned to ground to groom before taking a nap.
This provided us with some great filming opportunities with the area being so open and not having the hassle of grass always obscuring our view.
Obviously Tjololo’s wound is still there and open, but it’s really just a presence now and not hindering him in any way.
There are very few records of hyaenas having 3 cubs. Usually they have 1 or 2. Not surprising when they only have 2 teats. So for this hyaena to have 3 is really unusual and one wonders if they’ll all survive.
Still no luggage! But I’m all set to go the Emmy’s in an hour’s time. And still no shoes, they’re in my suitcase. But then I’m always bare-foot so why should I wear any tonight.
24th September 2000
More fires as Mala Mala carried on with their controlled burning for the last time this season. I managed to get some great material of the fire that raged with a strong wind behind it. Getting the best shots one is always at risk and on a number of occasions a sudden gust of wind nearly had us enveloped by the flames. All in all we got some exciting stuff.
Tjololo followed the river for most of the night and although the gash is still very open it is clean and the swelling in his elbow has gone. He’s very much on the road to recovery. He did have a hunting attempt on an impala but messed it up.
By dawn he was right in the north of his territory again, resting up in the Kapen river a while after sunrise.
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