The hyena is one of the most fierce and disagreeable of all animals.
The hyena is by nature a nocturnal animal; that is, it seeks its prey
by night, and consequently during the day it remains in a state of
repose. The hyena has been unfairly represented to be perfectly
untameable on account of its great ferocity. If properly treated,
however, and well fed, it is far from being savage or dangerous.
It possesses a great propensity for putrid and buried carcasses, which
it will hunt, and dig for, and devour with disgusting greediness.
Unlike many other animals, the hyena is an unsociable animal, for it
lives a solitary life among rocks and ancient ruins. There are two
kinds of hyenas, the spotted and the striped. The figure below
represents the striped, and the other represents the spotted hyena.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: IBEX.]