Last month we covered THE GIRL GANGS OF PAFURI; if you’ve missed it you can read it here.
The charismatic, energetic character of Pafuri is to become the muse of Dr Neil Parkin’s expedition to South Africa. So, what is Neil’s objective?
Neil’s “primary mission” as he puts it, is to “rehabilitate the much-maligned reputation of the spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta” and to explore the possible reasons why we have an “innate attraction” to some species (lions, leopards, and elephant come to mind), over others – often scavengers such as vultures and hyena.
Neil’s time observing the Pafuri hyenas could not have started any better. The Pafuri guides had located an active den site, which as luck would have it is located not more than 10 minutes from camp, on a road we call Mayingani Link – therefore this den and the hyena clan have been named Mayingani.
On the first outing after arriving in camp on August 20, a single hyena was spotted near the Mayingani den.
After a quick sundowner nearby, Neil returned to the den to find the clan milling about in an open area. The adults had brought back the remains of a warthog, either hunted by the clan or stolen from one of the many leopards in the area, and were in the process of finishing it off.
About 10 individuals, including tiny, still mostly black cubs approximately two months old, were seen. Neil captured some images from the scene with the help of the RETURN Africa vehicle spotlights.
The two adorable cubs were seen again three nights later, roughhousing and playing under the watchful gaze and sometimes the engagement of a young babysitter
Neil hopes that through his observations, photos, and videos, he can start to develop identikits for each hyena in the area, therefore building an overall picture of the hyena population and clan dynamics.
How do you tell the difference between individual hyenas? Mostly through the patterns of spots on the flanks, neck, and rump, as well as ear shape if there are signs of past injuries1. Neil will use these markings to identify individuals. With the help of the Pafuri guides, Neil hopes to name individuals, noting the sex, character and hopefully rank within their tight clan structure.
For example, compare these two images (in black and white and enhanced to highlight the spots) of the left flank of what may be the clan matriarch, who Neil has provisionally named Maya, taken one week apart:
In fact, Neil fortuitously had saved a photograph of the same individual taken in Pafuri from a previous visit in 2019 – compare the right flank spot patterns below:
Neil’s initial success has been, as with much in the African bush, quelled, as sightings have tapered off. The clan has vacated the den on Mayingani Link, as they do from time to time. With the assistance of the highly trained and experienced Pafuri guides, he hopes to locate the new den site and continue his observations.
We here at Pafuri Camp are excited by the prospect of learning more about the hyena clans that call the Pafuri home and if you share a similar love for hyenas, we invite you to follow their story and perhaps, join Neil for an impromptu informal talk around the fire at Pafuri Camp in September or October 2024.
For more frequent updates, stay tuned to Neil’s blog here: Hyenas of Pafuri
And for condensed updates, keep watching our blog and social channels.
About Dr Neil Parkin: Neil Parkin is a PhD scientist and avid wildlife photographer who was formally trained in laboratory science and has had a productive scientific career in academia, the biotechnology industry, public health, and private consulting work. Professionally focused on laboratory diagnostic tests for viral diseases (including HIV-1, hepatitis viruses and SARS-CoV-2), he developed a passion for photography starting as a teenager with a 35 mm film camera and basement darkroom. In 2008 he visited Pafuri for the first time, and he was hooked. To develop his photography skills, in 2015 Neil attended a seven-day wildlife photography workshop in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, led by Roy Toft, and has participated in seminars by top photographers including Frans Lanting and Paul Nicklen. He returned to Pafuri in 2017, 2019, and 2022 and can’t get enough of it! His goal in 2024 is to use photo and video content to rehabilitate the much-maligned reputation of the spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta.
1 Spagnuolo et al. Mammalian Biology (2022) 102:1089–1112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-022-00309-4
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