Habits of the Hyena 133 



striped hyena, is met with south of the Zambesi 

 and in the north of Africa that is, in temperate 

 parts. 



The burrows in which the hyena lives are gener- 

 ally old burrows abandoned by ant-eaters. It does 

 not often make one for itself. At nightfall it 

 scours the district in search of food, uttering at 

 intervals a mournful cry. If lions are making a 



. 



A SPOTTED HYENA. 



meal the hyena arrives immediately, enticed by 

 the smell. It waits patiently at a distance until the 

 guests have withdrawn, to throw itself in turn upon 

 the remains. It finishes the carcase, or else prowls 

 round villages and camps, and, driven by hunger, 

 steals whatever it can find bones, pieces of skin, 

 feathers, etc., even dogs and goats, if it meets with 

 them. There are cases, people assure you, in which 

 it would even attack human beings during their 

 sleep. 



