Understanding Animal Behaviour is key when you are doing a Safari

(This is why understanding animal behaviour is important…) We were staying in Skukuza in Kruger National Park and doing game drives towards the south when we stopped to serve our group breakfast at the picnic spot called “Afsaal” which is not fenced off.

I was setting up for breakfast next to our tour vehicle when I noticed this juvenile Spotted Hyena lying next to the undergrowth approximately 4 metres from where we were standing. He was very relaxed and quietly watched us place the chairs for our group to sit down.

The group returned from visiting the shop and dished up hurriedly and sat down to have their breakfast. When everybody was busy eating, I asked one of the ladies to look over her shoulder, and when she saw the hyena lying 3 metres behind her, she got such a fright that she threw her place of food in the air and bolted for the open door to get in the vehicle. All her friends looked over their shoulders and also started running. It took all my power of persuasion to calm them down and to convince them that they were in no danger at any time. In fact the hyena was probably a lot more frightened than they were.