THE STRIPED HYÆNA.[68]
The Striped Hyæna takes the place of the spotted kind over the northern part of Africa. It also extends into Asia, where it ranges over Asia Minor and Persia, and through India to the foot of the Himalayas. Amongst other places, it is “common in every part of Palestine, and indifferent as to the character of the country. We obtained the young occasionally in spring, and procured on Mount Carmel the largest pair of adults I ever saw. The old rock-hewn tombs afford to the Hyæna convenient covert. It attacks the graves even in the vicinity of towns.”[69]
HYÆNAS IN AN ARABIAN CEMETERY.
HYÆNAS IN AN ARABIAN CEMETERY.
In ground-colour it resembles the spotted kind, but instead of being marked with spots, its hide is covered with complete black transverse bands like the hoops of a barrel, which extend downwards on to the legs. It is as nearly as possible of the same size as the brown variety.
As to its habits and characteristics, there is little to add to what has already been said of its South African brother; it follows the Lion for scraps, roams about the Arab cemeteries to dig up and devour the dead, prowls round the towns and villages in Egypt and elsewhere to pick up offal, and is always the same ugly, ill-conditioned, repulsive, and yet useful beast. For the Arabs and Egyptiansare never greatly inclined to sanitary reform, and without Hyænas, Jackals, and Vultures, would be in a sad case indeed.
As to the animal’s cowardliness, every writer bears witness. Jules Gérard says:—“The Arabs say, ‘as cowardly as a Hyæna,’ and the Arabs are right.” So much do the sons of the desert despise their scavenger, that when Gérard killed one with his sabre, they implored him never again to use the defiled weapon, saying that it would certainly betray him after having been sheathed in such a dastardly carcass. It is stated that the Dog is the only animal the Hyæna dares attack, and even this game they like some help in killing. “When they feel inclined to eat a Dog, they hang about some douar, in the neighbourhood of which there happens to be a good cover. The female stations herself behind some brushwood, and the male goes towards the Dogs, who attack him, and follow him as far as the position of his consort. The female comes out at the fitting moment to attack, throttle, and devour on the spot the Dog who ventures farthest in pursuit of her husband.”
Although the Hyæna is generally considered unworthy of being hunted, yet the Arabs occasionally condescend to come to the rescue of their Dogs, by beating their destroyers to death. They have also a curious “yarn” about a new and singular way of killing a Hyæna—a similar process to the traditional method of bird-catching. “The Arab who finds a Hyæna in his hole, takes a handful of Cow’s dung, and presents it to him, saying, ‘Come, and I will render you beautiful with henna.’ The Hyæna holds out his paw; the Arab seizes it, drags him out, then gags him, and causes him to be stoned by the women and children of the douar, as a cowardly and unclean beast.” One would have imagined that a Hyæna of ordinary mental capacity would be far too old to be caught with this sort of chaff!