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Tumaren

Ecology and Conservation Observations in Laikipia, Kenya

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Hyena Hunting Flamingos at Nakuru

Category: Birds, Mammals | Date: Jan 24 2008 | By: tumaren

These pictures are from Nakuru but one can witness hyena hunting flamingos at Lake Bogoria just west of Laikipia. Just thought they may be of general interest.

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13 Responses to “Hyena Hunting Flamingos at Nakuru”

Dipesh Pabari, on 24 Jan 2008

These are amazing!! Do you have any footage. Please do load and share with the world!

paula, on 24 Jan 2008

Nice, you should enter this in a photo competition! Please do a story in SWARA magazine….

James, on 24 Jan 2008

thanks dipesh and paula. it was really quite amazing to witness - i never really figured that they would get one. just shows, persistence pays.

Christine C., on 24 Jan 2008

Wow…it is amazing to me that all the flamingos did not get the heck out of dodge when the hyenas came…why is that? Great pics (well, except for the last one maybe…poor flamingo!)

James, on 24 Jan 2008

christine,
it is the chaos that the hyena take advantage of. sometimes also the flamingo is sick or maybe isn’t molted completely. they do a run away that just isn’t quite speedy enough. there were thousands upon thousands of flamingos though that did get the ‘heck out of dodge’

F. J. PECHIR, on 24 Jan 2008

Thank you James for this outstanding pictures! I only have saw this kind of predation in Discovery Channel or NatGeo specials, but never have the luck to see it in person. Lake Nakuru and Bogoria are breeding and feeding grounds for many thousands of flamingos, so you can find them in that places in a very high concentrations.

THERESA SISKIND, on 24 Jan 2008

Ok, maybe my eyesight is failing me but F.J. could these be my brown hyenas?! Also, these remarkable photos beg the question, can hyenas swim?

James, on 25 Jan 2008

Theresa, we don’t have brown hyenas up here in east africa. this is a spotted and while i always see them in water and mud i cant say i have ever seen them swim…
j

THERESA SISKIND, on 25 Jan 2008

Hey James, thanks for your answers. Since both domestic dogs and lions can swim I just thouht maybe hyenas could too! I find it very interesting that wildlife biologists say hyenas are more closely related to felines then canines.

James, on 25 Jan 2008

ya, they are in their own family and (someone correct me if i’m wrong) i think they strayed away from the family that includes civets at some point not too far back in the evolutionary calendar.

F. J. PECHIR, on 25 Jan 2008

Dear Theresa, James is (as always) right! Those are spotted hyenas, and they undoubtely can swim a little if forced to, but they do not doubt to take shallow water when hunting or when a carcass is available. They have their own family, hyenids, that was separated from others carnivores many time ago.

Jackson Raini, on 28 Jan 2008

This are superb pictures. The hyena predating on flamingos is a recent phenomenon and the pictures illustrate a new threat to flamingos at Lake Nakuru. The hyena population may have increased significantly and hence change of menu.Bravo. Raini.

Wim, on 30 Jan 2008

Extraordinary isn’t it? I’ve watched them do that at Nakuru too. The enfeebled, mentally or physically, are an easy snack one would imagine (once you get used to romping through the stinky sticky mud).
I rather like Hyaenas.
For those interested in all things Hyaenid, The Hyaena Specialist Group have an interesting website at http://www.hyaena.ge/ (probably best viewed on a PC rather than Mac).

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