In News:

A rare sighting of the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) has been reported from the Kali Tiger Reserve, located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The sighting is ecologically significant as it highlights the presence of elusive carnivores beyond core forest habitats and reflects improving habitat connectivity within protected landscapes of the Western Ghats region.

About the Striped Hyena

The striped hyena is a medium-sized carnivorous mammal belonging to the Hyaenidae family, which comprises four extant species—striped hyena, spotted hyena, brown hyena, and aardwolf (the latter is insectivorous and not a true wolf).

Key characteristics:

• Appearance: Smaller than the spotted hyena, with a sloping back, erect mane, and distinctive dark vertical stripes along the body and legs.
• Distribution: Found across South Asia (India, Nepal, Afghanistan), North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, West Asia, and Central Asia.
• Habitat: Prefers open savannas, grasslands, scrub forests, and semi-arid landscapes, often living close to human settlements.

Behaviour and Ecology

• Feeding habit: Primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion, animal remains, and occasionally human refuse, thereby playing a crucial role in ecosystem sanitation.
• Social structure: Generally solitary, though it exhibits limited social organisation.
• Territoriality: Uses scent marking to demarcate territories and deter rivals.
• Sexual hierarchy: Adult females dominate males and may display aggression toward other females.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I, providing the highest level of legal protection in India

Despite its wide range, the species faces population decline due to habitat loss, persecution driven by myths, road mortality, and depletion of natural carrion.