This video oflions killing hyenas shows that the relationship between hyenas and lions in areas where they coexist is unique in its complexity and intensity.
Lions and hyenas are both apex predators which feed on the same prey, and are therefore in direct competition with one other. As such, they will often fight over and steal each others' kills.
Though it is popularly assumed that hyenas are opportunistic scavengers which profit from the lion's hunting abilities, it is quite often the case that the reversal is true.
Just watch this video!
The feud between the two species does however seem to encompass more than just battles over food.
In the animal kingdom, the territorial boundaries of another species are usually disregarded. Hyenas and lions are an exception to this seeing as they set boundaries against each other as they would against members of their same species. Male lions are extremely aggressive toward hyenas, and as you have seen in this lions and hyenas video, hunt and kill hyenas without eating them.
Conversely, hyenas are major predators of lion cubs. When attacking adults, hyenas go after groups of females or better yet, a single female. However healthy adult males, even single ones, are generally avoided at all costs.
Did You Know...?
Hyenas have extremely strong jaws in relation to their body size. In 2005, Dr. Brady Barr of the National Geographic measured the bite forces of many different animals, including spotted hyenas for the documentary "Dangerous Encounters: Bite Force".
A one year old hyena cub had a bite measured at 273 kilograms (603 pounds) of force, leading to the postulation that a full grown adult hyena could bite at over 453 kilograms (1,000 pounds)!
This mandibular power, combined with its large pyramid shaped molars allows it to easily crush bone, even those of elephants.
An experiment conducted in 1955 showed how the spotted hyena easily outclassed the much larger brown bear in bone crushing ability. It is often asserted in television and print that hyenas have the most powerful bite for their overall body mass when compared to other animals, although there is no scientific basis for this claim.
They also have a very powerful digestive system with highly acidic fluids. This makes them capable of eating and digesting their entire prey, including skin, teeth, horns, bones and even hooves.
This results in them having crusty white droppings, due to the amount of calcium they ingest. The hyenas digestive system is so efficient, it can even derive nourishment from mummified corpses. Undigestible parts are vomited in the form of pellets.
In the wild, the spotted hyena has an average lifespan of 12 years. In captivity, it can be extended to 25.
