Two Spotted hyenas born in Safaripark Beekse Bergen

Two healthy Spotted hyenas have been born in Safaripark Beekse Bergen. The mother Kipenzi and the young animals are doing well.

Chief zookeeper Christian Meurrens: "Hyenas can give birth to one litter every year from the time they are sexually mature, which is when the hyena is around four years old. The mother has successfully raised two litters before. Once the young no longer drink milk from the mother, chances are that the female will soon be mated again. Gestation lasts about four months."

Spotted hyena gets its name from its spotted fur. The species is born with black fur, sharp teeth and the eyes are already open by then. Meurrens: "After only a few weeks, the spots gradually become visible."

The sex of the young animals is still unknown. Meurrens: "It is difficult to tell what the sex of the animals is, because the genitals of both male and female look almost the same. In the coming time we will observe the young carefully to find out."

The hyena has four subspecies, of which the Spotted hyena is the only species that lives in groups. In the wild, the Spotted hyena lives south of the Sahara Desert. Females also rule in a group of hyenas: "A group of hyenas may consist of a few to dozens of hyenas. The females, as the boss of the group, live in the core and the males on the periphery."

The young animals can be seen on the walking trail between Africa Village and Congo Square.

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