The socio-ecology and social behaviour of the brown hyaena Hyaena Brunnea, Thunberg, 1820 in the southern Kalahari.

Abstract

The brown hyaena in the southern Kalahari is predominantly a scavenger of mammal remains, supplementing its diet with wild fruits as well as other vertebrate remains, insects, birds' eggs and the occasional small animal which is killed. Brown hyaenas are solitary foragers, but most of them live in small groups which inhabit large territories. The rest of the population consists of dispersing subadults and nomadic adult males. Territory size is mainly affected by the dispersion pattern of the food in the territory and group size by the "quality" of the food. Mating is carried out between nomadic males and group-living females and group-living males help with the feeding of cubs. Communication is carried out mainly through olfactory and visual means. Subadult recruitment and emigration are mainly responsible for group size regulation. Evolutionary trends in Hyaenid behaviour are briefly discussed as is the management of the brown hyaena in the southern Kalahari and other areas.