Hyena are very interesting animals and for me are at the top of the food chain. The eat anything and clean up the Africa bushveld of carcasses which cause disease.

In this video you see Hyenas using an old termite mound that has been excavated to give birth and raise their cubs. You will note in the video as a young guide I refer to them as pups but the reality is that Hyenas are more closely related to Cats than Dogs, so the correct reference is "Cubs".
You will also note interesting behaviour of greeting/social bonding by sniffing/licking of genitals. What is an amazing fact that you get to see in this video is that the largest Hyena right in front of the den, is the mother! You will look at her and say, No she has a Penis. Yes, female Hyena have very high levels of male hormones in there body as they need to be larger and more dominant than the males.
In Hyena clans it is the females who rule the roost. Basically what looks like a penis is an extension of the Clitoris, the females sensory gland so to speak.

Another interesting fact is they use this gland to mark territory and we call it "Pasting". It is a secretion from the gland much like male jaculate which the paste onto plants, leaving a scent mark to ward off other clans.

Virtual Safari - Quick facts on Hyena

1. Hyena have one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. At approximately 1200 pounds per square inch of crushing power, they are stronger than Lions and Tigers.

2. Hyena are thought to just be scavengers, but they will hunt as a team and solo up to 50% of the time dependant on the access to food.

3. Hyenas form a particularly important part in our natural system. They are part of natures “clean up team”. They crush up bones from carcasses returning nutrients to the soil and leaving splinters of bone for Vultures and other animals to get calcium in their diet.

4. Hyenas faeces if full of calcium due to the high amount of bone they consume. This then dries in the sun showing the powdery calcium deposits which can then be consumed by other animals like antelope for them to get the required calcium in their diet.

5. Hyenas have longer front lets then back legs. This enables them to run long distances at a canter to find food (through smell) as well as using the longer legs as leverage to tear meat from a carcass. Comment and ask any questions you have about Hyena and I will answer them for you.