Rare spotted hyena makes an appearance after 5,000 years, killed by locals

Local people, unfamiliar with the presence of such a predator, tracked and killed the hyena in response to the livestock loss.

 A spotted hyena. (photo credit: EcoPrint. Via Shutterstock)
A spotted hyena.
(photo credit: EcoPrint. Via Shutterstock)

A rare spotted hyena was discovered in Egypt for the first time in nearly 5,000 years, astonishing scientists and raising questions about climate change and animal migration. The hyena was found in Wadi Yahmeeb, approximately 30 kilometers from the Egypt-Sudan border, after it attacked and killed two goats belonging to local residents.

Local people, unfamiliar with the presence of such a predator, tracked and killed the hyena in response to the livestock loss. The incident occurred approximately 500 kilometers north of the species' known range in Sudan, marking a deviation from the hyena's typical habitat.

Dr. Abdullah Nagy, the lead author of the study from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, expressed his astonishment at the discovery. "My first reaction was disbelief until I checked the pictures and videos of the dead body," he said, according to the Navbharat Times. "When I saw the evidence, I was completely surprised. It was the last thing we expected to find in Egypt," he added.

Scientists are investigating the reasons behind the hyena's extensive journey into Egypt. One theory suggests that regional climate changes have influenced the hyena's migration northward. Increased rainfall and vegetation growth in southeastern Egypt over the past five years may have created a potential wildlife corridor, providing better grazing opportunities for prey and shelter for the hyena.

"The fact that the corridor area has become less environmentally harsh, offering easier passage along 'the highway', may explain how the hyena reached this far north," explained Nagy. Researchers used satellite images from Landsat 5 and 7 between 1984 and 2022 to monitor vegetation changes, confirming increased levels of plant growth despite periods of drought.

The Active Red Sea Trough phenomenon—a natural weather cycle causing heavy rainfall and flooding due to eastern winds blowing over nearby mountains—may have contributed to these environmental changes. This weather event has led to increased rainfall and plant growth in the area between Egypt and Sudan, creating better grazing conditions for prey animals and, consequently, attracting predators like the spotted hyena.

"This incident has challenged our understanding of the species' distribution, as the nearest known habitat is hundreds of kilometers away," noted Nagy. Researchers believe that climate change, evidenced by increased humidity and vegetation, may have contributed to the growth of plants serving as food for the hyena's prey, facilitating its journey northward.

Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are known for their adaptability and long-distance travel capabilities. They can roam up to 27 kilometers in a day, often shadowing semi-nomadic, human-managed livestock migrations and subsisting on occasional kills. Their natural habitats include mixed forest-savanna, deserts, and forests.

The discovery has implications for understanding animal migrations in response to climate change. "If climate changes continue at this pace, wildlife specialists may be preparing to discover unexpected animal species in places they have not been seen for thousands of years," Nagy said.

The study documenting the event was published in November in the journal Mammalia.


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This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq