Meeka’s Mind blog has shared a wonderful Q&A about my new poetry collection, Lion Scream, and the role of hyenas in nature ecosystems. Thank you, Meeks.
I was on Robbie Cheadle’s blog recently and was intrigued when she described some of Southern Africa’s wild life as ‘the Big Five’ and ‘the Ugly Five’! I had to ask, right? Well, here’s what Robbie said.
Robbie: The “Ugly Five”, comprising of the warthog, hyena, wildebeest, marabou stork, and vulture, aren’t as well known, but also play an important role in the southern African eco systems. The hyena, marabou stork, and vulture are all scavengers who help ‘clean up’ the bushveld.
One of the most interesting of the “Ugly Five” is the hyena which is one of the most misunderstood and persecuted animals in history. Throughout history, hyenas have been regarded as vermin and a liability to local communities. Disney’s movie, The Lion King, also perpetrated the myth of hyenas as despicable animals.
Me: Having watched The Lion King many times when the Offspring was little, I…
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Your descriptions of the hyena were amazing. Nature always surprises me just when I thought I had male and female sorted out!
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Hi Elizabeth, nature is simply marvelous. I stand in awe every time I go anywhere in a natural environment, even my own garden.
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I agree. It is warm enough that I can again sit outside with my app to identify bird songs. Yesterday late afternoon it picked up songs from seven different birds. I had only seen one variety.
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How lovely
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When I saw Hyenas in Kenya, I was surprised by how large they were. For some reason I had always thought of them as a small predator/scavenger.
Shared both posts on Twitter, Robbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hi Pete, they are large, the size of a big dog. I find them very interesting. Thank you for sharing 🤗😊
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A most intriguing post. I learned so much.
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I am glad I could introduce you to the real hyena. They are amazing creatures.
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On my way to read the rest!
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😊💕
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I commented on Meeka’s post – thanks Robbie, fascinating!
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I’m glad you enjoyed this post
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What fascinating information about hyenas, Robbie. You really are a living encyclopedia. I also enjoyed your poem which included so much of the information too.
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Hi Norah, thank you. Some of the poems were intended to be informative about the species and what makes it special.
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You’ve achieved that. 🙂
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A wonderful post on hyenas in Kenya. Very interesting.
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Hi Kamal, I am so pleased you enjoyed this post.
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Yes Robbie awesome 👍🏽
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