Hyena meat. Animals whose meat can be eaten. Opinions of four madhhabs regarding the permissibility and prohibition of eating the meat of certain animals

Hyenas have a very bad reputation. According to the prevailing opinion, the hyena is cowardly, treacherous, clumsy, eats carrion and scraps, and does not have a pleasant appearance.

As for appearance, of course, if we rely on human criteria of beauty, we can say that hyenas are not particularly beautiful. But if we keep in mind expediency, then, you will agree, the hyena is unusually perfect. She is the only animal capable of crushing the bones of all types of animals, except elephants, with her strong jaws and teeth. The powerful muscles of the forelimbs and chest allow the hyena to carry very long distances. heavy prey. She is not at all as clumsy as she may seem. It can chase wildebeest, zebra or gazelle over a distance of five kilometers at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour, which exceeds the capabilities of lions or leopards. The digestive organs of hyenas are one of the most advanced among all predators, which allows them to feed on carrion, as well as everything that moves, from termites, snakes and fish to buffaloes. It would be unfair not to love hyenas because they feed on carrion, because they, along with vultures, act as orderlies and prevent the occurrence and spread of dangerous diseases.

But even more unfair to hyenas are the claims that they are hangers-on and eat the remains of food taken by a lion or leopard. Many will probably be surprised by the fact that most of all food, i.e. up to 93%, is obtained by hyenas by hunting.

Dr. Hans Kruk, while conducting a study of the life of hyenas in the Serengati People's Park and in the Ngorongoro Crater, found that very often lions take prey from hyenas. This somehow does not fit with the generally accepted opinion that hyenas eat the meat of animals killed by lions. It turns out that of the prey jointly eaten by lions and hyenas, 84% of the food was taken by hyenas, 6% by lions, and the origin of the remaining 10% of the prey was not precisely established. So who can be called a hanger-on then: a hyena or a lion?

By the way, many, judging by the appearance of hyenas, believe that they are close to dogs in the zoological system, while in fact hyenas are rather closer to cats.

And a few more words in defense of the moral image of hyenas: family life hyenas with care for babies Obraztsova and exemplary.

"Encyclopedia of our misconceptions"

FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT HYENAS

Kind words for a long time no one could find for hyenas. They are treacherous and cowardly; They greedily torment carrion, laugh like demons, and also know how to change gender, becoming either females or males.

Ernest Hemingway, who traveled extensively in Africa and was well versed in the habits of animals, knew about hyenas only that they were “hermaphrodites who desecrate the dead.”

From ancient times to the present day, the same chilling stories have been told about hyenas. They were copied from book to book, but no one bothered to check them. For a long time, no one was really interested in hyenas.

It was only in 1984 that a center for studying individuals was opened at the University of Berkeley (California). Nowadays a colony of forty lives here spotted hyenas(Crocuta crocuta), - the most misunderstood animals in the world.

Who eats a lion for dinner?

In fact, spotted hyenas are very different from other predatory animals. For example, only among hyenas are females larger and more massive than males. Their constitution determines the life of the pack: matriarchy reigns here. In this feminist world, there is no point in males bickering; their life partners are much stronger and meaner than them, but they cannot be called insidious.

“Hyenas are the most caring mothers among predators,” notes Professor Stephen Glickman, who initiated the study of hyenas at Berkeley.

Unlike lionesses, hyenas drive males away from their prey, initially allowing only babies to approach it. In addition, these anxious mothers feed their cubs with milk for almost 20 months.

Many myths will be dispelled by impartial observation of hyenas. The Eaters fell? There are just no enterprising hunters who hunt down large prey with the whole flock. They eat carrion only in times of hunger.

Cowardly? Among predators, only hyenas are ready to repel the “king of beasts.” With devilish laughter, they press on the lions if they are going to take away their prey, for example, a defeated zebra, which the pack did not get easily.

Hyenas themselves attack old lions, finishing them off in a matter of minutes. A coward would only dare to attack a hare.

As for their hermaphrodism, this is one of the most common ridiculous myths. Hyenas are bisexual, although determining their gender is actually difficult. This is due to the fact that the genital organs of females are almost no different in appearance from males. Their labia form a sac-like fold, reminiscent of a scrotum; the clitoris is similar in size to the penis; only by studying its structure, one can understand that this is a female organ.

Why are hyenas so unusual? At first, Glickman and his colleagues suggested that the blood of females had a very high level of testosterone, a male sex hormone that helps form muscles and hairline in males, as well as inducing them to aggressive behavior. However, with this hormone, everything was normal in hyenas. But in pregnant females its content suddenly increased.

The reason for the unusual structure of the hyena (the size of females and morpho-sexual similarity with males) turned out to be a hormone called androstenedione, which, under the influence of an enzyme, can be converted into female hormone- estrogen - or testosterone is a male hormone.

As Glickman found out, in pregnant hyenas androstenedione, penetrating the placenta, is converted into testosterone. In all other mammals, including humans, on the contrary, it is estrogen.

A special enzyme stimulates the appearance of estrogen, which is little active in the body of hyenas. Thus, so much testosterone is produced in the placenta that the embryo is formed with pronounced masculine (male) characteristics, regardless of gender.

Bloodthirsty kids

Due to their strange anatomy, childbirth in hyenas is very difficult and often ends in the death of the cubs. At the University of Berkeley, out of every seven cubs, only three survive; the rest die from lack of oxygen. IN wildlife often the mother herself does not survive. Female hyenas most often die because they are attacked by lions during childbirth.

Striped hyena

Two and sometimes more babies are born, weighing up to two kilograms. The babies have a charming appearance: button eyes and black fluffy fur. But it’s hard to imagine more feisty little ones. A few minutes after their birth, tiny hyenas are already rushing at each other, trying to kill their brothers.

“They are the only mammals that are born with sharp canines and incisors,” Glickman notes. “In addition, unlike cats, hyenas are born sighted - and immediately see only enemies around them.”

They bite, twist, gnaw and tear at each other's backs. Their fights are in no way similar to the jostling of kittens trying to be the first to get to their mother's nipples. Hyena cubs want to be not the first, but the only one, and the struggle between them is life and death. About a quarter of the cubs die as soon as they are born.

But their passion for murderous fights gradually wears off. In the first weeks of life, the testosterone content in the blood of young animals steadily decreases. The survivors of these feuds are reconciled with each other. It is curious that throughout their lives, female hyenas behave more aggressively than males. Why did nature turn these spotted beauties into some kind of “super mensch”?

Lawrence Frank proposed a hypothesis. Throughout their history - and it goes back 25 million years - hyenas have learned to eat prey together - as a whole pack. For children, such a division of the carcass is discrimination. While the adults, pushing them aside, tore at the meat, the little hyenas were left with only scraps, mostly gnawed bones.

From such a meager diet they starved and soon died. Nature favored those females who, rushing at other hyenas, cleared a place near the prey for their babies. The more aggressive the hyena behaved, the more likely its offspring were to survive. The cubs of warlike hyenas could feast on meat along with the adults.

The ancient world about hyenas

In ancient times, two types of hyenas were known: striped and spotted, and the first, an inhabitant of North Africa and Western Asia, was, of course, more familiar to people than the spotted one, living south of the Sahara. However, ancient writers did not distinguish between the types of hyenas. Thus, Aristotle, as well as Arnobius and Cassius Felix, Latin writers, natives of Africa, mention the hyena without touching on its species differences.

Since ancient times, people have been amazed by the dexterity and perseverance with which hyenas tore up graves, so they were feared like evil demons. They were considered werewolves. A hyena seen in a dream meant a witch. In various parts of Africa it was believed that sorcerers turned into hyenas at night. Until recently, the Arabs buried the head of a killed hyena, fearing it.

In Egypt, hyenas were hated and persecuted. This “carrion eater” deeply offended the inhabitants of the Nile Valley, who were accustomed to honoring the bodies of the dead. On Theban frescoes you can see scenes of hunting with dogs for animals that lived in clearing deserts: gazelles, hares, hyenas.

The Talmud described the expiration this way: evil spirit from the hyena: “When the male hyena is seven years old, he takes the form of a bat; after another seven years it turns into another bat called arpad; after another seven years, nettles sprout; after another seven years, a thorn tree, and finally an evil spirit emerges from it.”

One of the church fathers, Jerome, who lived for a long time in Palestine, writes about it with obvious hostility, recalling how hyenas and jackals scurry in hordes on the ruins of ancient cities, instilling terror in the souls of random travelers.

Since time immemorial, there have been many different legends about hyenas. As already mentioned, they were credited with hermaphrodism and the ability to change their gender. They said with shudder that a hyena, imitating the voice of a person, lures children out and then tears them into pieces. They said that the hyena was killing dogs. The Libyans put barbed collars on their dogs to protect them from hyenas.

In Africa, the hyena can be a common pet like a dog.

Pliny wrote that the hyena looks like a cross between a dog and a wolf and will chew any object with its teeth, and immediately digests the swallowed food in its belly. In addition, Pliny gave an extensive - a whole page! - a list of potions that can be prepared from the skin, liver, brain and other organs of a hyena. Thus, the liver helped with eye diseases. Galen, Caelius, Oribasius, Alexander of Tralles, and Theodore Priscus also wrote about this.

The skin of a hyena has long been attributed magical properties. When going to sow, peasants often wrapped a basket of seeds with a piece of this skin. It was believed that this protected the crops from hail.

“On a full moon, the hyena turns its back to the light, so that its shadow falls on the dogs. Bewitched by the shadow, they become numb, unable to utter a sound; the hyenas carry them away and devour them.”

Aristotle and Pliny noted a particular dislike of hyenas for dogs. Many authors also assured that any person, be it a child, a woman or a man, easily becomes prey for a hyena if it manages to catch him sleeping.

People have always disliked hyenas, considering them ugly, cowardly and sinister creatures. However, these accusations are unfair. In fact, hyenas are extremely interesting and intelligent animals with an amazing social organization.

Hyenas (Huaenidae) are a family of mammalian predators. They are widespread in semi-deserts, steppes and savannas of Africa, Arabia, India and Western Asia.

The family unites only 4 species of hyenas in 4 genera. Let's get to know them better.

Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena)

This species is found in North Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula and in the border Asian regions.

The striped hyena's fur is long, ranging from light gray to beige colour. There are from 5 to 9 vertical stripes on the body, and a black spot on the throat.

Brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea)

The brown (coastal) hyena is common in South Africa and in Southern Angola. Most often it can be found along the western coast of Namibia. Inhabits semi-deserts and open savannas. Avoids the places where its fellow spotted hyenas hunt, since the latter are much larger and stronger.

The wool is shaggy, black Brown, while the neck and shoulders are lighter. There are white horizontal stripes on the limbs.

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

Found in sub-Saharan Africa, except in the rain forests of the Congo Basin and the extreme south.

The coat is short, sandy, red or brown. There are dark spots on the back, sides, sacrum and limbs.

In this species, the external genitalia of males and females are difficult to distinguish, hence the myth that these animals are hermaphrodites.

Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus)

The aardwolf, classified as a hyena, lives in Southern and Eastern Africa.

It feeds exclusively on insects, licking them from the ground with a long, wide tongue. More information about this type can be found in the article.

External features

Externally, hyenas resemble dogs with a large head and a powerful body. Distinctive features are long forelimbs, relatively Long neck and a sagging back.

The body length of animals, depending on the species, is 0.9-1.8 meters, weight - 8-60 kg. The smallest species is the aardwolf, the largest is the spotted hyena.

The structure of the body speaks volumes about its adaptability to feeding on carrion. The front part of the body is more powerful than the back, which is why the hyena has a characteristic sloping back. With its elongated forelimbs the animal presses the carcass tightly to the ground. Strong jaws and teeth, as well as powerful chewing and neck muscles help the animal cut meat and crush bones like pruning shears, extracting nutritious marrow from them.

Lifestyle

Hyenas are active mainly at dusk and at night. Very strong jaws and teeth, an efficient digestive system and the ability to travel long distances all make hyenas successful scavengers.

Food and hunting

Carcasses of dead animals form the basis of the diet of brown and striped hyenas. They supplement their menu with invertebrates, wild fruits, eggs and occasionally small animals that they manage to kill.

Spotted hyenas are not only effective scavengers, but also good hunters. They are capable of chasing prey at a speed of 60 km/h, covering a distance of up to 3 km. They usually hunt young large antelopes (oryx, wildebeest). They can cope with an adult zebra, and often with a buffalo.

Spotted hyenas often hide food in silty ponds. If they are hungry, they return to their hiding places.

Hyenas have an unusually well-developed sense of smell: they can smell the smell of decaying meat located several kilometers away from them.

In terms of nutrition, aardwolves are radically different from their relatives. Their diet mainly consists of termites and insect larvae.

It is interesting that termites try to defend themselves by spraying a burning substance, but there is no control over the aardwolf. His bare nose is so dense that insects cannot bite through it.

Brown hyenas prefer to hunt alone; their spotted relatives often form groups.

Since carrion is easy to find by smell, brown hyenas do not need to search for food together. In addition, the amount of food they obtain is usually only enough for one individual, so collective search for food would lead to competition between individuals.

The collective hunting strategy of spotted hyenas can be explained by the greater likelihood of success when group members combine their efforts. In addition, the large prey that they can obtain together allows them to feed many animals at the same time.

In the photo: spotted hyenas gathered near the carcass of an antelope. Group eating is often accompanied by very loud noise, but rarely by serious contractions. Each animal can eat up to 15 kg of meat in one sitting!

Family life

All types of hyenas, except the aardwolf, live in groups (clans). Clan members occupy a common territory and jointly defend it from neighbors.

In the spotted hyena clan, females dominate, and even the highest-ranking males are subordinate to the lowest-ranking females. Males leave their native clan when they are on the threshold of maturity. They join the new group and gradually climb the hierarchical ladder to gain the right to participate in reproduction. Females tend to remain in the maternal clan and inherit their mother's rank.

U brown hyenas clans are built somewhat differently. Some males and females leave their natal group during adolescence, others remain in it for a long time, sometimes for their entire lives. Males who have left their family join another clan or lead a wandering lifestyle.

The sizes of clans vary as different types, and within the same species, depending on environmental conditions. Spotted hyenas usually have the largest families: they sometimes number more than 80 individuals.

In brown hyenas, the clan can consist only of a female and her cubs of the last litter.

The size of the territory occupied by a clan also varies significantly, but it is usually determined by the abundance of food resources. For example, in the Ngorongoro Crater, the population density of wildebeest and zebra allows a large clan to exist in a small area. And in the arid climate of the Kalahari, where hyenas often have to cover a distance of 50 km in search of prey, the territory occupied by the group is much larger.

Communication

The social systems of hyenas are extremely complex.

First, animals have an effective system for communicating over distance using smells. Distinctive feature All hyenas have an anal sac, which they use for a unique type of scent marking. It's called "smearing". Striped and spotted hyenas produce a thick, sticky secretion of one type, while their brown relatives produce a fatty secretion. white secret and a secret in the form of a black sticky mass. The animal touches the grass stem with its anal gland and runs it along the stem, moving forward, leaving a mark. There can be up to 15 thousand marked points in one area, so that trespassers immediately understand that the owner is in place.

Secondly, hyenas demonstrate elaborate greeting ceremonies. During such a ritual, the fur on the back of brown and striped species stands on end, and the animals sniff each other’s head, body and anal sac. Then a ritual fight occurs, during which the dominant individual often bites, holds and shakes the neck and throat of the animal occupying a subordinate position. Among spotted hyenas, the ceremony involves mutual sniffing and licking of the genital area.

What sounds do hyenas make?

Hyenas hoot, make high-pitched screams and strange giggling-like sounds. Signals perceived by humans as hooting are transmitted over several kilometers. With their help, hyenas communicate over long distances. Animals repeat such signals several times, which helps to establish their location, and the signal of each individual has individual characteristics.

Some acoustic signals emitted by hyenas can only be heard by humans with the help of an amplifier and headphones.

Procreation and raising offspring

There is no specific breeding season for hyenas. Females do not mate with related males, which avoids degeneration. Numerous males wander alone through deserts and savannas. Having met a female during her short estrus, the male fertilizes her, and she returns to her family. Pregnancy lasts approximately 90 days, after which 1 to 5 cubs are born.

Unlike other predatory mammals, spotted hyena cubs are born sighted and with teeth already erupted. Babies of the same litter are involved in aggressive interactions almost from birth, as a result, a clear hierarchy quickly develops between them, and this allows the dominant cub to control access to mother's milk. Sometimes aggression leads to the death of its weaker brother.

Hyenas of all species keep their young in dens, which are a system of underground burrows. Here young individuals can stay for up to 18 months. Females of the same clan usually keep their young in a large common burrow.

Different types of hyenas raise their children differently. Spotted animals begin to feed them meat only from the age of nine months, when the younger generation is already able to accompany their mother on the hunt. Until this point, they are completely dependent on their mother's milk.

Brown hyenas also feed their offspring with milk for more than a year, but from three months on, the cubs’ diet is supplemented by food brought to the shelter by their parents and other members of the clan.

The photo shows a spotted hyena with a cub.

All members of the family unit take part in raising the younger generation.

Hyena and man

There are no endangered hyena species, but several populations are threatened. And the reason for this is human persecution caused by prejudice and negative attitudes towards these animals. In North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, striped hyenas are considered grave desecrators. People's disgust towards them reaches such an extent that they are poisoned and caught in traps.

The fact that hyenas eat carrion also repels people from them. However, do not forget that brown and striped hyenas actually represent a natural waste recycling system.

The fate of brown hyenas is not as sad as that of striped ones, since in the southern part of their African habitat farmers are gradually changing their attitude towards them. This species is also protected in a number of nature reserves and national parks.

The spotted hyena most often comes into conflict with the local population, as it attacks livestock. The status of this species is defined by the IUCN as " low level threats: needs protection.” However, this species is quite common in many large national parks and in other protected areas in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The status of other species is “low threat level: not of concern.”

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What can a meeting with a pack of hyenas promise? African savannah? They're not the nicest animals, so it's not good. And if this happens at night, and with hungry hyenas...
One eccentric old man in Harare made this an attraction not for the faint of heart. Every day, a few hours after sunset, he goes beyond the outskirts of the city directly to meet packs of hungry hyenas with a basket of rotten meat and feeds them. First with a stick at arm's length, then simply with his hand, and in the end he becomes completely bold and offers pieces of meat from his mouth. The same thing is sometimes repeated by brave spectators-tourists and even local residents who also often come to watch this “show”!
You don't need to buy a tour or reserve a seat in the audience to see him feed the hyenas. It’s enough just to come to the feeding place, take pictures, watch or even take part yourself, and then at the end give the old man money for a new portion of meat...
Having arrived in Harar, we could not miss such an unusual “entertainment”. On the very first evening, having found out where and what time the feeding took place, we took a tuk-tuk and went to a night meeting with the hyenas...

2. How and when this old man came up with the idea of ​​feeding hyenas under the wary and enthusiastic gaze of tourists, no one knows, but rumors about this fun gradually spread across the Internet and now some even specially go to Harar in order to see feeding hyenas with their own eyes.
If you have such a desire, remember where and what time to find this place.
Both the old man and the hyenas come to their feeding place around 8 pm, when it gets very dark. Finding it on your own is not very easy without knowing the city, but it is possible. If you are staying in a new city, you need to completely cross the old one, exit through the gate at the end of the market and turn off the cobblestone road onto a dirt road that branches off to the right from the main road. Then, without turning, drive about a kilometer towards the savannah and the road will lead directly to a place dimly lit either by the headlights of a car with tourists or by an old man’s lantern. But it’s better not to tempt fate on a completely dark road, but to take a tuk-tuk, immediately check whether the driver knows where the hyenas are feeding and pay him 100 birr for the round trip, as well as waiting until it’s all over.

3. We just got to the very beginning, besides us there was another jeep with three foreigners who had come to Harar specifically for this “show”.
At first everything happens quite boringly. The old man squats down in the light of headlights or a lantern, places a basket of meat in front of him and begins to call the hyenas with cries known only to him.

4. True, there is no particular need to call them, the flock is already accustomed to easy prey and every evening waits for him in this place, burning with hungry eyes from the darkness. At first they are hesitant to come close, checking the situation around them, and then gradually they become bolder and come closer...
The old man pries the meat with a small twig and throws the meat a little to the side so that the animals become bolder and come closer

5. Some, especially brave ones, do not hesitate to remove meat directly from the rod in the hands of the old man

6. Seeing this, their relatives become more and more bold. In general, it’s amazing how after many months of daily feeding here, they still don’t trust and every time they behave like it’s the first time.

7. The older man’s younger assistant risks hand-feeding meat.

8. While taking another shot, I suddenly heard breathing at my side... The hyena carefully examined me, creeping up from the side. I felt somehow uneasy. She couldn’t stand the direct gaze, immediately turning her eyes to the side. But what kind of thoughts were in her brain is not known...

9. Her other relatives were approaching from the darkness. It's time to go back to the spot of light, it's safe there. By the way, as soon as one of the tourists blocked the light of the jeep’s headlight, the old man’s assistant immediately asked not to do this. Apparently, for good reason...

10. The old man is becoming bolder, and so are the hyenas. At some point, one of them came up behind him and stood with her front paws on his shoulders, pulling a piece of meat from the rod from behind his head.

11. Confrontation of two forces. A man who subjugates nature...

12. ... and nature, which still remains beyond the control of man

13. I look at hyenas... no matter what anyone says, they are still quite unpleasant animals

14. Photos, of course, do not convey the sounds with which these animals ate and figured out who should take the next piece of meat, but in the video at the end of the post you can see everything well

16. The first tourist dares to take a place next to the old man. The hyena winces...

17. But he doesn’t refuse meat...

18. And then the “show” with hyenas jumping on the back. The old man deliberately turns his back to them and lifts the meat on a twig above his shoulder. It is unknown who is more afraid, the hyena or himself...
It looks like a hyena. She does this very timidly. But you can be sure that in the desert, in the dark, a pack of hyenas will not be at all afraid of you.

19. One of the tourists also becomes bold and “gives” his back to the hyena. The old man is in control. If an incident suddenly happens, he will lose his income and, what good, he will end up in prison.

20. The whole “performance” lasts about 15 minutes. The old man gives the last pieces of meat to the hyenas very reluctantly, teasing them. After all, tourists only at this point become bolder and want to try to take at least some photo of themselves with hyenas in the background

22. The old man throws the last pieces of meat onto the sand, leaving the feast field...

Well, as a clear example how it all happens and how hyenas fight screamingly for a piece of meat, in a one-minute video...

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Spotted hyena - carnivorous mammal family of hyenas. This is the most common member of the Crocuta species. They are also known as the laughing orderlies of the African open spaces.

Description of the spotted hyena

These representatives of the fauna are famous for their bad character. “People” consider them to be aggressive, cowardly animals that feed on carrion. Is this deserved? A traveler with a lack of experience in Africa faces many dangers. The spotted hyena is one of them. More often they attack in flocks at night. Therefore, woe to the guest who did not light a fire and stock up on wood for the whole night.

This is interesting! Research shows that the spotted hyena's social intelligence is on par with some primate species. Their mental development one step higher than other predators, due to the structure of the frontal cortex of the brain.

It is believed that the ancestors of the spotted hyena branched off from the true hyena (striped or brown) during the Pliocene era, 5.332 million to 1.806 million years ago. Spotted ancestors of hyenas, with developed social behavior, increased pressure from rivals forced me to “learn” to work as a team. They began to occupy larger territories. This is also due to the fact that migrating animals often became their prey. The evolution of hyena behavior was not without the influence of lions - their direct enemies. Practice has shown that it is easier to survive by forming prides - communities. This helped them hunt and defend their territories more efficiently. As a result, their numbers increased.

According to the fossil record, the first species appeared in the Indian Subcontinent. Spotted hyenas colonized the Middle East. Since then, the spotted hyena's habitat, as well as its appearance, have changed slightly.

Appearance

The length of the spotted hyena ranges from 90 to 170 cm, depending on gender, development and age, height – 85-90 cm. The hyena’s body is covered with short, coarse hair with undercoat. The long coat covers only the neck, creating the appearance of a light mane. The body color is pale brown with a darkened muzzle, similar to a mask. The spotted hyena's fur is covered with dark spots. In some individuals, in the area of ​​the back of the head it has a slightly reddish tint. The hyena's body has a slanted body with high shoulders and low hips. Their large, round body stands on relatively thin gray paws, each with four toes. The hind legs are slightly shorter than the front legs. Large round ears are set high on the head. The spotted hyena's muzzle shape is short and wide with a thick neck, similar in appearance to that of a dog.

Sexual dimorphism is pronounced in appearance and behavior of spotted hyenas. Females are significantly larger than males due to excess testosterone. Females have more of it than males. On average, female spotted hyenas are 10 kg heavier than males and have a more muscular body. They are also much more aggressive.

We should also talk about her voice. The spotted hyena is capable of making up to 10-12 different sounds, differentiated as signals for relatives . Laughter, similar to a prolonged howl, is used for communication between individuals. Animals can greet each other using moans and squeals. You can also hear "giggling", howling and growling from them. For example, a low growl with a closed mouth symbolizes aggression. A hyena can make such a sound to a pack when a lion approaches.

The reaction to the same signals from different individuals can also be different. The inhabitants of the flock react to the cries of males “reluctantly”, with a delay, and to the sounds made by the female - immediately.

Lifestyle

Spotted hyenas live in large clans, from 10 to 100 individuals. These are mostly females; they form a so-called matriarchal clan led by an alpha female. They mark their territory and defend it from other hyenas. There is a strict hierarchy within the clan among females who compete with each other for social position. Females dominate males through aggressive displays. Females are divided according to age. Older ones are considered the main ones, they eat first, and produce an order of magnitude more offspring. The rest do not have such privileges, but are still in the hierarchy one step above the males.

Males also have a certain division based on similar characteristics. Dominant males have greater access to females, but they all worship the “women” of the pack. Due to this harsh state of affairs, some males often move to other flocks to breed.

This is interesting! Spotted hyenas have a complex greeting ritual involving sniffing and licking each other's genitals. The spotted hyena raises its hind paw to become acquainted so that another individual can sniff it. These highly socialized mammals are masters of the most complex social structure primates.

Different clans can wage war against each other in the struggle for territory. Rivalry among spotted hyenas is expressed in a harsh form. They behave differently with their own children. The cubs are born in a communal den. Siblings of the same sex will fight for dominance, biting each other and sometimes inflicting fatal wounds. The winner will dominate the rest of the offspring until he dies. Offspring of the opposite sex do not compete with each other.

How long does a spotted hyena live?

IN natural environment habitat, the spotted hyena lives for about 25 years, in captivity it can live up to forty.

Range, habitats

Spotted hyena individuals choose savannas as their habitat, which are rich in animals included in their favorite diet. They can also be found in semi-deserts, open forests, dense dry forests, and mountain forests up to 4000m in height. They avoid thick tropical forests and deserts. You can meet them in Africa from Cape Good Hope to the Sahara.

Spotted hyena diet

The main food of the spotted hyena is meat.. Previously, it was believed that their diet consisted only of carrion - the remains of animals underfed by other predators. This is far from true; spotted hyenas are primarily hunters. They get about 90% of their food by hunting. Hyenas go fishing alone or as part of a pack led by a female leader. They most often hunt large herbivores. For example, gazelles, buffalos, zebras, wild boars, giraffes, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. They can also feed on small game, livestock and carrion.

This is interesting! Despite well-developed hunting skills, they are not picky eaters. These animals will not disdain even a rotten elephant. Hyenas have become the dominant predator in Africa.

Spotted hyenas primarily hunt at night, but are sometimes active during the day. They travel a lot in search of prey. The spotted hyena can reach speeds of about 65 kilometers per hour, which gives it the ability to keep up with a herd of antelope or other animals and capture its prey. Helps a hyena overcome a large animal powerful bite. A single bite to the neck can sever major blood vessels in the victim. After capture, other animals in the pack help gut the prey. Males and females may fight over food. As a rule, the female wins the fight.

The powerful jaws of the spotted hyena can even cope with the thick femur of a large animal. The stomach also digests everything that enters it, from horns to hooves. For this reason, the feces of this animal often have White color. If the prey is too large, the hyena may hide some of it for later.

Natural enemies

Spotted hyenas are at odds with. This is almost their only and constant enemy. Of the total deaths of spotted hyenas, 50% die from the fangs of a lion. Often it is a matter of protecting one's own borders, sharing food and water. This is how it happened in nature. Spotted hyenas will kill lions, and lions will kill spotted hyenas. During the dry season, drought or famine, lions and hyenas are always at war with each other over territory.

This is interesting! The fight between hyenas and lions is tough. It often happens that hyenas attack defenseless lion cubs or old individuals, for which they are attacked in return.

In the struggle for food and primacy, victory goes to the group of animals whose numbers predominate. Also, spotted hyenas, like any other animal, can be exterminated by humans.

أيما لحم نبت من حرام فالنار أولى به

That is why we considered it very important to inform Muslims about those animals whose meat is allowed to be eaten. Since residents of Russia and the CIS countries adhere mainly to the Hanafi and Shafi'i madhhabs, we decided to explain this topic according to these two madhhabs.

Animals whose meat is permissible and animals whose meat is forbidden to eat according to the Hanafi madhhab

Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion. The precepts and prohibitions of Islam bring only good to people. But the human mind, due to the fact that it is extremely limited, cannot always understand the reason for each precept of religion. The mind may not be able to understand why the decision is the way it is, but Allah Almighty, All-Merciful and All-Knowing, knows best of all what is beneficial and what is harmful for us, because He created us.

Allah Almighty bestowed His beloved Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on humanity as a light and a source of light. Islamic law (Shariah), with which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came, established the difference between living and dead animals. Dead meat was declared forbidden (haram). Certain animals that are harmful to humans, such as pigs, dogs, cats and carnivores, have also become forbidden to eat, that is, the meat of animals that are forbidden to be eaten according to Shariah is harmful to humans, whether we realize it or not.

Taking into account the above, it should be noted that each school of Islamic law (madhab) has its own principles (based on the Koran and Sunnah) regarding which meat of animals is allowed (halal) to be eaten and which is forbidden (haram).
Below are the principles on which the scholars of the Hanafi madhhab are based. These principles are set out in the classic books on Hanafi fiqh (Al-Fatawaul-Hindiyya, No. 5/289–291; Badais-Sanai, No. 5/35–39; Raddul-Mukhtar, No. 304–308).

1. Animals whose consumption has been expressly prohibited in the Qur'an and Sunnah are undoubtedly haram, such as pig, donkey, etc.

2. Animals that are born and live in water are haram, with the only exception being fish. All types of fish are halal, except those fish that die naturally in the sea without any external cause. But if the fish died due to some external reason, for example from cold, heat, from running into a stone or being thrown onto the shore by a wave, etc., then such a fish is halal.

Allah Almighty says (meaning): “You are forbidden to eat carrion, blood, pork...” (Surah Al-Maida, verse 53).

In the above verse, the Almighty forbade carrion meat, without dividing animals into those living on land and in the sea. Therefore, all marine animals also fall under this general prohibition. But the fish don't fall under this general rule, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clearly indicated its permissibility.
Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Two types of carrion and two types of blood were permitted for food. Two types of carrion are fish and locusts, and two types of blood are liver and spleen” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Musnad Ahmad, Sunan Ibn Majah).

Moreover, there is not a single mention in the collections of Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or his companions at least once ate the meat of some sea ​​creatures except for fish. If such meat were halal, at least a single case of eating the meat of sea animals for food would be known from the Sunnah, to show that it is permissible (Dars Tirmidhi, No. 1/280).

Regarding eating fish that died naturally in the sea without the influence of any external reasons(samaqat-tafi), Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is lawful for you to eat what the sea spews out and what remains after the tide, but what dies in the sea and floats on the surface, you are not allowed to eat” (Sunan Abu Dawud, No. 3809; Sunan Ibn Majah).

Ali forbade the sale in markets of fish that died a natural death (that die in the sea and then float to the surface) (“Badai al-Sanai”, No. 5/36; “Al-Ikhtiyar”).
In light of the above, we can conclude that all marine animals, except fish, are prohibited for consumption. It is permissible to eat fish even without observing all the rules for slaughtering animals according to Sharia. But if the fish died a natural death without external influence and floated to the surface of the water (samakat-tafi), then it is prohibited (haram) to eat such fish.

3. Among animals that live on land, those that do not have blood are prohibited (haram) for consumption. For example: hornet, fly, spider, beetle, scorpion, ant, etc. Allah Almighty says (meaning): “ ...(The Prophet) who encourages good, keeps from disapproved, allows them good (clean) food suitable for food human nature, and prohibits what is harmful (and unclean) to people"(Surah Al-Araf, verse 157).

Living beings in which blood circulates through an open circulatory system(spider, etc.) are considered unclean, because eating them disgusts a person.
The exception is locusts, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clearly indicated its permissibility in the above-mentioned hadith, which is given in the collections “Sunan” of Abu Dawud and “Musnad” of Imam Ahmad.
In addition, Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him), when asked whether locusts can be eaten, replied: “ I fought with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in six or seven battles, and we ate them (locusts) together."(Sunan Abu Dawud, no. 3806).

4. Amphibians and reptiles are also prohibited, for example: snake, lizard, chameleon, etc.

5. According to the fifth principle, all pest animals (hasharatul-ard) are forbidden (haram) for consumption, such as mice, hedgehogs, jerboas, etc. The reason for the prohibition of eating their meat is that they are also considered unclean food.

6. All land-dwelling animals in which blood circulates, which eat grass and leaves and do not hunt other animals (that is, not predators living on the land), are permitted (halal) for consumption, such as camel, cow, goat , buffalo, ram, etc. However, in the Hanafi madhhab there is a slight disagreement regarding the consumption of horse meat, but this will be discussed later. The exception to this category of animals is the donkey - its meat is prohibited from being eaten.

Allah Almighty says (meaning): « Allah, in His mercy, created cattle (an'am) for you so that you could use wool and fluff for warmth, and meat for food.» (Surah An-Nahl, verse 5).

And also (meaning): « Allah is the One who made cattle subject to you, so that you could ride some and eat from others.» (Surah Al-Mumin, verse 79).

In the above verses, Allah Almighty uses the word “al-an’am” (cattle), which, according to the unanimous opinion of all experts Arabic, denotes herbivores.

Regarding the consumption of horse meat, Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) expressed the opinion that it is blameworthy (makruh tanzih) because the horse is a noble animal and is used during jihad. Imams Abu Yusuf and Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on them) spoke out in favor of the permissibility of eating horse meat, and it is reported that Imam Abu Hanifa also expressed this opinion. Therefore, it is permissible to eat horse meat, but it is better to refrain from it.

Regarding the meat of a donkey and a mule, the Almighty says (meaning): “ Allah created for you horses, mules and donkeys so that you could ride them and so that they would be an ornament for you that would bring you joy. Allah has created other means of transportation that you do not know."(Surah An-Nahl, verse 8).

Thus, we see that all other herbivorous animals are permissible for food, since Allah Almighty said so (as we learned from the previously cited verses). But regarding donkeys and mules, the Creator said that they were intended for riding and decoration. If eating these animals were permissible, the Almighty would, without a doubt, point it out.

Moreover, Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade eating donkey meat on the day of the Battle of Khaybar(Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5202).

Abu Talaba (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade eating the meat of donkeys (Sahih al-Bukhari, No. 5205).

Regarding mules, Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the meat of horses, mules and donkeys (Musnad Ahmad, no. 4/89; Sunan Abu Dawud, no. 3790; Sunan Nasai and Sunan Ibn Majah).

7. All predatory animals that live on land and animals that hunt with their claws are haram. For example: lion, cheetah, tiger, leopard, wolf, fox, dog, cat, etc.

8. Everyone is haram predator birds that hunt with their claws. For example: falcon, eagle, kite, hawk, etc. Prohibited bat, although it belongs to mammals. The evidence for these two principles (7th and 8th) is the famous hadith from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade eating the meat of predators with fangs and birds with claws (Sahih Muslim, No. 1934). Therefore, all predatory animals and birds (animals that hunt others with their tusks and birds that hunt with their claws) are haram.

9. Birds that do not hunt other animals with their claws, mainly feeding instead on seeds and grains, are permitted as food, such as chicken, duck, pigeon, swallow, etc. Abu Musa al-Ashari (may he be pleased with him) Allah) said: " I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) eating chicken "(Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 5198).

10. If a halal animal eats only unclean foods, as a result of which its meat and milk acquires an unpleasant odor, it is makrooh to consume such milk and meat. But if, along with unclean animals, an animal eats clean foods or eating unclean foods does not in any way affect its meat and milk, then eating the meat and milk of such an animal is absolutely permissible (“Raddul-Mukhtar”, No. 6/340). The book “Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya” says: “ It is makruh to eat chicken meat only if most of what it eats is unclean, and the unclean food affects the chicken meat so that it has an unpleasant odor."(Al-Fatawa ul-Hindiyya, No. 5/289).

11. If one of the parents of an animal is a halal animal and the other is a haraam animal, the decision regarding the meat of that animal depends on who its mother is. If the mother is a halal animal, the meat of her young is halal, as is the case with a hybrid animal whose mother is a mare or cow. But if the mother is one of the forbidden animals, the meat of her cub is haram, as is the case with a mule whose mother is a donkey.

Eleven were given above general principles regarding the determination of permissibility/impermissibility of eating meat according to the Hanafi madhhab of Islamic law. It should be noted that the term “halal” in this case exclusively implies the permissibility of eating the meat of certain animals for food. There are rules regarding how animals should be slaughtered and how they should be hunted, for which one should consult books of fiqh. Failure to comply with these rules can turn the meat of an initially permitted animal into a forbidden one.

Based on the eleven principles outlined above, we will present the lists of permitted (halal) and forbidden (haram) animals for food according to the Hanafi madhhab (both lists are not exhaustive).

Animals whose meat is halal:

1) camel; 2) goat; 3) ram; 4) buffalo; 5) deer; 6) rabbit; 7) cow; 8) wild donkey; 9) fish; 10) antelope/gazelle; 11) duck; 12) heron; 13) nightingale; 14) quail; 15) parrot; 16) turach; 17) locusts; 18) partridge; 19) lark; 20) sparrow; 21) goose; 22) ostrich; 23) dove; 24) wild pigeon; 25) stork; 26) rooster; 27) chicken; 28) peacock; 29) starling; 30) hoopoe

Animals whose meat is prohibited (haram) for consumption:

1) wolf; 2) hyena; 3) cat; 4) monkey; 5) Scorpio; 6) leopard; 7) tiger; 8) cheetah; 9) lion; 10) jerboa; 11) bear; 12) pig; 13) protein; 14) hedgehog; 15) snake; 16) turtle; 17) dog; 18) crab; 19) jackal; 20) donkey (domestic); 21) lizard; 22) fox; 23) crocodile; 24) ermine/weasel; 25) elephant; 26) falcon; 27) hawk; 28) kite; 29) bat; 30) fingerboard; 31) mouse; 32) rat; 33) all insects and animals close to them (mosquito, fly, spider, beetles, etc.).

Animals whose meat is permissible and animals whose meat is forbidden to eat according to the Shafi'i madhhab

The basis of halal (permissible) and haram is the verse holy quran which says: " And the Almighty allows you pure (good) and forbids evil "(Surah Araf, verse 159).

وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ

All animals that live in the sea (water) and cannot live for a long time outside of water are allowed for consumption. For example: whale, shark, dolphin, etc.

And animals that live on land are also allowed to be consumed, except for those prohibited by Sharia. Those with fangs or claws needed for hunting are prohibited.

Permissible animals include: sheep, goat, cow, camel, chicken, horse, sable, hyena, wild ass, fox, gazelle, mountain goat, hare, rabbit, lizard, African jerboa, squirrel, hedgehog, porcupine, locust, ostrich, duck, goose, crane, pelican, pigeon, nightingale, bustard, jackdaw, sparrow and the like in nature.

Forbidden animals include: mule, domestic donkey, lion, tiger, wolf, bear, elephant, monkey, falcon, hawk, eagle, owl, jackal, cat (both wild and domestic), snake, crow, scorpion, kite, mouse, birdie, vulture, parrot, peacock, bat, mollusks (invertebrates, soft-bodied animals, usually covered with a shell), as well as all insects - the exception is locusts.

All animals that can live both on land and in water are prohibited. For example: crocodile, turtle, frog, crayfish etc.

Those animals that were born from permitted and unlawful animals are also prohibited. For example, mule.

There are also animals that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not only forbade eating, but also killing. These include: bat, ant, bee, hoopoe, frog.

There are also animals that are desirable to kill. These include: snake, mouse (including rat), spotted raven, mad dog, kite.

It is prohibited to eat the meat of an animal that was not slaughtered in accordance with Shariah, with the exception of fish, locusts and the embryo that was found in the womb of the slaughtered animal.

Eating the eggs of any animal, even forbidden ones, is permitted. For example, eggs of an eagle, crow, etc.

It is also prohibited to consume evil spirits (najasa), such as carrion, blood, alcohol (since it also belongs to najasa), narcotic and psychotropic substances (including tobacco and other smoking mixtures), as well as everything that harms the body, such as poison, glass, earth, etc. For the Almighty says in the Koran: “ Don't expose yourself to death! »

التَّهْلُكَةِ سورة البقرة 195

It is not advisable to eat food that was purchased with money earned by sweeping, as well as with money received for work during which a person engages in uncleanness (najasa), for example, bloodletting, etc.

A person in a hopeless situation is allowed to consume everything that is not allowed, unlike someone who has a choice. For example, if a person is dying of hunger, he can even eat dog or pig meat, but only in the amount necessary to preserve life.

Opinions of four madhhabs regarding the permissibility and prohibition of eating the meat of certain animals

May the Almighty give us the opportunity to consume only halal (permissible) and distance us from haram! Amine.