Just today I took a trip back to Uldum to study the fauna there. I had been conducting research on the Suntouched Hawks when I came across a wild pack of Hyenas. I have seen Hyena in Voldun as well, but they were vastly different.
It seems spotted and striped Hyena have different mannerisms and behaviors!
Spotted cubs are born with almost fully developed but lack adult markings. In contrast, striped Hyenas are born with the adult markings but lack in development.
Male spotted Hyena have a role to play in cub-rearing, while striped Hyena males do not.
Striped Hyenas are scavengers, while Spotted Hyena kill around 95% of their meals.
Grooming habits, scent marking and mating patterns seem to be similar to other feliforms I have observed. There seem to be no major differences between Spotted and Striped Hyena of Azeroth in this regard, either.
Some myths in Uldum include an old tale that says the Hyena was a solar animal, that brings the sun. However, other tales suggest that the Hyena is an immoral animal that represents negative traits.
‘Laughing like a hyena’ seems to be a reference to the noises the animals make, which sounds like laughter. It’s really a bit of a chortle, but cute none the less!
I have acquired an older-cub that was a bit of a runt and in severe distress from the rest of the pack. I am unsure why it was being neglected, but I intend to take it home and study it. Hopefully Aleklah and Albert don’t mind another pet around the house.The hyena runt has been dubbed ‘Guunther.’ It seemed a fitting name, it means warrior.