A brown hyena paid a visit to local residents

Aloe Ridge West is a suburban area near the outskirts of town. Baboons, monkeys and even the occasional porcupine have been spotted in this vicinity.

A resident from the area got a massive surprise when he saw what he recalls as a big black cat-like animal on that particular morning.

“I was travelling through town on my way to Lydenburg when I saw the animal crossing the road. I was in a hurry and could not stop. I immediately notified my neighbours thinking a black leopard was roaming around. On further investigation they came across footprints that looked like that of a dog, but it was far too big. It was only four hours later that I saw WhatsApp messages about the animal I encountered and that it was indeed a brown hyena,” says Elton Lekhowane.

Photos of the footprints spread like wildfire on WhatsApp groups. Members on the groups shared their input and opinions. One member suggested it was a hyena print.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News spoke to a professional hunter and game farm manager, Shain de Jager, about the footprint. He positively identified the print as a brown hyena. “On the print one can see a gap between the cushions.

One cushion is smaller than the other and bent to a 45 degree angle. You can see from the print the animal steps off to one side which is a clear indication of this species,” said De Jager.

He also added that during dusk and dawn, the animal does appear to be black.
Johan Grimbeek is also a professional hunter and animal tracker. The moment he saw the animal track he knew it was a brown hyena. “Hyenas are scavengers and will sometimes wander into human territory searching for a meal. There are plenty in our area,” says Grimbeek.

According to the website The Animal Files, the brown hyena is approximately the size of a large dog with a dark brown coat and light brown hair around the neck. They live in most parts of the country but are especially found in the northern provinces.
They eat carrion, meaning any food left behind after a kill, but they will also hunt smaller animals, including birds and small mammals. Although they are pack animals, they do have nomadic males with which females tend to mate.
These species is unfortunately on the near-threatened list, meaning they are in danger of going extinct. Their only enemies are humans and lions.