Latest Sightings have reported a unique sighting at Kruger National Park involving a cackle of opportunistic hyenas and one of Africa’s Big Five members.
Unsplash/Glen Carrie
Danie Bester has documented the encounter and noticed an injured rhino being surrounded by hungry hyenas, with other rhinos witnessing the struggle nearby. On closer inspection, the hyenas were biting at a freshly opened wound created by one of the members biting off the rhino’s tail.
The rhino in question seemed to be suffering from an injured leg when this attack took place, which is probably why this vicious group targeted this particular animal in the first place. Hyenas are opportunistic hunters and killers, so they saw their opening for an easy meal (or nibble, at least).
The hyenas were hell-bent on nipping and gnawing at the animals behind and kept biting at the wound as they received little resistance from the rhino. The injured party took around seven minutes of abuse from the hyenas before he made his move to escape from their sharp teeth. The rhino hastily made its way to a nearby river to try and escape this determined group of carnivores. A visual was lost, but veterinarians later found the rhino to be possibly treated.
The wildlife medical team determined that the rhino had a pre-existing broken leg, likely from a previous scuffle. While the hyenas might not have finished the job, the veterinarians reported that the animal’s injuries were untreatable and euthanized the rhino in question.
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