A spotted hyena was seen in the Greater Kruger in January 2021 walking on just two legs after having an unlucky encounter with a lion. The hyena was bitten on its spine and its back legs got paralysed.
Remarkably, however, the hyena learnt to walk on its two front legs and was spotted at Kings Camp in Timbavati Game Reserve around nine months after the incident.
‘At first glance, I felt heartbroken for the poor hyena as this was an extreme circumstance, remarked Cathan Moore who spotted the hyena. ‘Remarkably he had adapted and learnt to walk using only his two front legs! As we spent more time with him, we realised that his handicap did not hinder him in any way. He was fully capable of surviving in the bush.’
Moore spotted the same hyena at Kings Camp again, this time with a clan and the hyena appeared to be in better health. ‘It was astonishing to see that he was still in superb condition and perhaps even healthier than the previous time,’ Moore told Latest Sightings.
‘However, what was interesting about this sighting with him was that I was able to watch how he interacted with other members of the clan.’ Not only was he in better condition, after rushing to a kill he was also seen shoving other individuals out of the way, and nipping at them.
‘It was clear that the other individuals were wary of him and that he had the right of way. This leads me to believe that he is a high-ranking member of the clan and gets the right of way at most sources of food,’ Moore added.
Take a look at how this hyena learnt to live with two paralysed legs.
Picture: Screenshot
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