Donkey vs Hyena: An Unusual Battle
The video begins with a donkey and a hyena inside a large, open building with several inches of dirt acting as a floor. A medium-sized donkey has a hyena by the ear and neck. This doesn’t appear to be a playful interaction but an act of aggression from the donkey. After all, they’re known to be aggressive toward canines since they recognize them as predators. Their habit of pursuing, attacking, and killing coyotes that enter their enclosures has led to some farmers keeping them as guard animals. They can dissuade coyotes from entering the farm area and even protect other livestock with which they have formed bonds. That doesn’t mean they’re primed to take down hyenas, though. Hyenas aren’t very large creatures, but their speed and bite power help them kill prey. In this case, the hyena is trying to use its speed to get free of the donkey. Yet, the donkey’s large size acts as an achore to the creature. The hyena grunts in pain while the two fight for control over their direction of travel. The cameraperson remains silent, not giving any indication of what made this donkey drag a hyena around. There’s also no explanation for why the two animals are in this large, football field-sized place alone. The battle is a clear stress for the hyena. The cameraperson doesn’t come to its aid. For a moment, it looks like the fight is about to get more violent. The hyena tries to the tables and snaps at the donkey, but the larger animal drives it into the ground. The hyena almost succeeds in biting the donkey’s neck. That would have spelled the end for the donkey. The donkey doesn’t take the hyena to the ground, though. Instead, it loses its grip on the hyena. At this point, the hyena has a choice. It could attack the donkey, or it could get to safety. The hyena decides to use its speed to get away. At their utmost, hyenas can reach speeds of 35-40 mph. The donkey keeps pace for a few moments, but then the hyena breaks away and runs to safety. This video raises a few interesting questions. For one thing, was that a fully-grown hyena? Why were the two animals together? Could a donkey kill a hyena? Why did the donkey drag a hyena by the ear? These are all fun to ponder. However, it’s more concerning that these creatures were housed together in the first place and that such an attack was allowed to happen in the presence of what could be their owner.
Up Next: More Hyena Shenanigans
Watch a Hyena Save a Warthog From a LeopardWatch This Male Lion Stealthily Ambush Sleeping HyenasWatch a Hyena Casually Walk Into a Lion Pride and Immediately Regret It
Sources:
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ewdcc4/43/
