![]() However, consumption of the entire carcass by both predators and scavengers do not take a long time either. Marabou storks picking on a hyena carcass, a most peculiar sight – the scavenger becomes the scavenged Most kills take place within a matter of minutes. ![]() After all, hunts happen in a flash, as most predators on the African savannah rely on surprise rather than endurance to snag prey. Often, it is more likely we see the result of a hunt, rather than the hunt itself. We can easily witness such a scene on the plains of the Masai Mara. Low in stature, crowded out by the hyenas and overshadowed by the birds, they circle the carcass opportunistically, hoping for their moment to drive in and grab a piece. The only creatures which can be said to have some charm are the petite black-backed jackals, who hunt as a mating pair. A black-backed jackal circles a hyena as he waits for an opportunity to dive into the feast Instead, it waits for bits to fly off during the frenzy and catches them as they come. Waiting on the outer ring are the leatherback vultures, jostling out the marabou stork, who stands near the prize but is prevented from dipping into it by the hyenas. At the top of the food chain are the hyenas, who themselves have their hierarchy. As the hyenas start to get full and disperse, the vultures start to inch closer to the carcass, hoping to get a bite before it is all goneĪround the carcass of the gnu, a fresh lion kill made in the pre-dawn hours, a stunning variety of African scavengers have gathered. Neither are the other animals whose company it keeps. ![]() With its bald head, spotted neck, and legs crusted with its own feces, it isn’t the most celebrated of creatures. ![]() The marabou stork looked up from the feast in front of it. We initially assumed that the hyenas had stolen this carcass from a lion, however its also possible that they hunted it themselves A Typical Scene of Scavengers Around a Carcass Without the scavengers of the savannah, rotting carcasses would spread bacteria and other pathogens to wild animals, livestock and humans. This “clean up” is especially important during the season of the great wildebeest migration, as thousands of grazers die along the way. They do the essential work of cleaning up the savannah, preventing the build-up of rotting bodies on the grassland. Hyenas sharing the feast – this clan was over thirty strong However, many of the scavengers in Africa are keystone species crucial to their environment. Scavengers often get a bad rep – portrayed as conniving, thieving, greedy creatures that feast on the misfortune of other animals. ![]()
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