Besides the African lion, what other large predator is the other African top predator?

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13 March 2023

Besides the African lion, what other large predator is the other African top predator?

This enormous continent is home to many fantastic wild animals and the two we identify with the most, or most iconic, most popular. Well... 'most' of everything, is the lion and then the elephant. I have much to say about the prey animal – the elephant, but this post is about Africa's two top predators – The African lion and the largely ignored, Spotted hyena – Africa's two top predators.
I am, however, focussing and highlighting that phenomenal intelligent fighter that is unfortunately greatly underestimated – the spotted hyena.

They are and will always be Africa's greatest warrior.

The first clear sign is that they are born into brutality and only the strongest will survive. Spotted hyena cubs are born with eyes open and already armed with teeth. The reason for that is that they have to fight for their survival from the moment they are born.

The mother only has two teats and sometimes three cubs are born – not the usual amount, one or two. Competition for food is fierce and to survive the cubs have to fight from the moment they are born. Even if there are only two cubs born – the competition for food never fades and this they carry forth to adulthood – and in the end only one or more rarely, only two cubs will remain if there were three (an example).

Text credit: Crying buffalo.
Image credit: reddit.com

We often use the term, 'born warriors', but do we really have it correct? I think that term can only be used when referring to the spotted hyena.

Let's look at the start of a lion's life:
No brutality towards new-born littermates. A lion's cub is born with eyes closed and toothless – their mom has enough teats – four. Yes, they grow up to be bigger and more powerful (physically) than the spotted hyena.....but, but, the spotted hyena is far more intelligent, more brutal, has more than double the strength of a lion's jaws... Just about 'more everything' when compared to a lion.
Now, just imagine if they were the size of a lion? Nature did the right thing.

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