Two spotted hyena brothers have debuted at the San Diego Zoo and have quickly acclimated to their habitat, near the top of Sun Bear Forest.
The 9-year siblings, named Zephyr and Turbo are members of the largest of the three species of hyena. The San Diego Zoo also houses striped hyenas, but not the brown hyena.
"They have been really interested in everything that goes on around them," says Hali Anderson, San Diego Zoo keeper, and chief caretaker of the hyenas. "They play in the water and even hide the bones we give them in the pool. They acclimated really quickly and seem to be enjoying all the experiences, especially people watching."
Hyenas are often thought to be a type of canine because of their resemblance to wild dog species. They are actually not a dog or a cat, but are so unique they constitute their own family. Spotted hyenas have also been referred to as the laughing hyena, due to its unique vocalization, which sounds similar to human laughter.
The spotted hyena is a predator native to many areas in Africa and live in large groups, called clans, which are led by a female and can reach over 70 individuals. They are carnivores with large heads, strong jaws and huge teeth used to crush bone. Their jaws can produce pressure up to 800 pounds per square inch.
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Comments :
Great video. I would like to visit that zoo some day since spotted hyena my favorite animals.
Aw, they are cute! I really would like to visit them, too.
beautiful animals! exellent zoo. i would love to visit!
Spotted Hyena's are my fav animal I cant wait to see them! They look so heathly and happy, great job!