HYENAS, MONKEYS, AND PIGS 



but at the same time it has been proven in a great many- 

 instances that the hyena often kills its own prey, which it 

 devours with the most ravenous appetite. Very often 

 horses, mules, and donkeys have been killed by these 

 hyenas, although they have been tied up close to the camp- 

 fire of the hunting party. Settlers and natives also com- 

 plain of the continuous attacks of hyenas upon their cattle 

 and sheep. One gentleman from German East Africa 

 told me of how three spotted hyenas in one single night 

 had killed and partly devoured not less than eleven cows 

 from his herd. 



When this beast kills an animal, it generally does it in 

 such a way that it rips open the belly with its sharp teeth, 

 and then devours the soft intestines and licks out the 

 blood from the cavity of the chest. One of the favorite 

 meals of the hyena seems to be the udder of the cow, and 

 I have heard of an instance in British East Africa, where 

 a single hyena killed four cows in one night, devouring 

 hardly anything else but their udders. That particular 

 animal was probably not very hungry, for otherwise it 

 would not have been satisfied with as scanty a meal as that 

 of four cow udders, as a hyena has been known to devour 

 almost a whole hartebeest in a single night. 



A great many authentic instances are known where 

 old and half-starved hyenas have grown bold enough to 

 attack even white men who were sleeping at the time, I 

 know the truth of the story, which tells of how an English 

 sportsman, after a hard day's march, was taking an after- 

 noon nap in his hammock. He had it suspended quite 

 close to the ground, and had fallen asleep, with his right 

 arm hanging down over the side of the hammock. He 



213 



