A spotted hyena killed in Egypt (Photo: Said El Kholi)
A spotted hyena has been spotted in Egypt for the first time in millennia after it wandered far beyond its natural range. It may have eaten two goats before being quickly dispatched by locals in a pick-up truck.
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, but the species disappeared from modern-day Egypt 5,000 years ago when climate change made the region too dry for their prey.
A lone hyena was discovered last year deep in the Sahara Desert, hundreds of miles north of its species' usual northern limit. Scientists don't know what brought the hyena so far north, but it may have followed animals taking advantage of wetter times in the area.
Locals tracked down and killed the hyena in Wadi Yahmib, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the Sudan-Egypt border, after it killed two goats, according to a study published November 15, 2024, in the journal Mammalia.
“The locals are experienced trackers and are very familiar with all the large mammals in the area,” the study authors say. “The hyena was tracked by locals who discovered it, chased it, and deliberately hit it with a pickup truck.”
Losses from livestock loss can be financially devastating for residents of the region. Although locals live alongside striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), these smaller hyenas generally do not attack livestock, according to the study.
One of the researchers photographed and filmed the dead hyena and sent the images to his colleagues for identification. The study's lead author, Abdullah Nagy, a wildlife ecologist at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, told Live Science that he was shocked to see the photos.
Nagy explained that Egypt underwent significant environmental changes about 5,000 years ago when the Sahara began to become drier through a process called aridification.
“The region previously boasted green landscapes similar to those found south of the Sahara, home to many large mammals such as elephants, giraffes, leopards and spotted hyenas,” Nagy said. “However, a gradual process of aridification transformed the ecosystem into the Sahara Desert, creating an environment that was no longer suitable for these species.”
The hyena was killed about 19 miles (30 kilometres) from the Sudan-Egypt border.
The study highlights that subsequent environmental changes may have allowed at least
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