View article

Hunting group size, hunting rates and hunting success were monitored over a seven‐year period among members of one large clan of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) inhabiting the Masai Mara National Reserve, in south‐west Kenya. Prey availability varied seasonally in this study area, and hyenas tended to hunt whichever prey species were most abundant during each month of the year. Over 75% of 272 hunting attempts were made by lone hyenas, even when they hunted antelope three times their own body mass, such as wildebeest and topi. Of all prey that were commonly hunted, only zebra were usually hunted in groups. Approximately one‐third of all hunting attempts resulted in prey capture. Although no significant sex differences were observed in juvenile or adult hunting rates, low‐ranking adult females hunted at significantly higher hourly rates than did higher‐ranking females. Hunting success was not …