It's time to take a look at the "ugly" five - they are named not for their appearance, but because they have "ugly" jobs as scavengers or they aren't very smart (such as wildebeests and warthogs). The hyena, warthog, wildebeest, vulture, and marabou stork are considered the "ugly" five, and we saw them all on our game drives in Kenya.Image
I'll start with hyenas - did you know there are 3 hyena species - spotted, brown, and striped. We caught a glimpse of our first hyena as we were leaving the Nairobi Natl Park around sunset - we were excited because we saw spots (when we were looking for the leopard and her cubs) but quickly realized it was a spotted hyena lurking in the bushes. We only saw spotted hyenas this trip.
Once in the Mara, we saw more hyenas - mostly hovering around the scene of a fresh kill (like the lion pride feasting on a buffalo) or close to other predators ready to kill (like the cheetah). A group of hyenas is called a clan, or a cackle. We did not hear any hyenas make sound (but could imagine the hyenas from Lion King!) Start here to learn more https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/hyena (more photos coming soon)
You've already seen a photo of the one wildebeest we saw in Masai Mara - the rest are all down south in the Serengeti (Tanzania) and will return in the millions to the Mara in a month or so in the great migration (just google photos of the wildebeest migration - it's crazy!) Here's a good time to point out that Disney's Lion King got many African animals right, including wildebeests - they stampede and destroy everything in it's path! They aren't very smart and will often go off cliffs if they are following the herd (or a group is often called a confusion).
Now on to the "ugly" birds - you probably know about vultures - if you scroll the the photos, be warned - they are doing their thing! You probably haven't heard much about the marabou stork - often called the Undertaker due to its black feathers that look like a cloak. It's also a scavenger and found ravaging carcasses with vultures, hyenas, jackals, and other scavengers. We first spotted a group of them (flight or phalanx) across the pond in Nairobi Natl Park - and first heard the term Undertaker then (our guide in the Mara wasn't familiar with this term). Later in the Mara we witnessed one overseeing the scene as vultures and jackals did their thing. The scavengers might have an "ugly" job, but their role is very important!
The warthogs were one of my favorites, so I will provide a more in depth look at them tomorrow...
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