Hyenas can chomp down on the flesh and bone of a buffalo carcass with almost 1,000 psi of force. By comparison, medium-sized dogs have an average bite force of around 325 psi. Although hyenas may look dog-like in appearance, they are actually more closely related to cats.
The hyenas in this 13-hour time-lapse video are munching on a buffalo carcass near Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Hyenas are scavengers as well as hunters and when they work as a clan, they can take down large prey, including buffalo, wildebeest and zebras. These clans can swell to as large as 80 individuals and are always led by females, who are more muscular and aggressive than the males.
In the video, a leopard also makes a brief appearance to snatch a bite. Can you spot him?
H/T: io9
2
