A spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) has been recorded in south-eastern Egypt, marking the first documented sighting of the species in the region for thousands of years.
The discovery is remarkable because it occurred around 500km north of the hyena’s known range in neighbouring Sudan.
The lone hyena was tracked and killed in late February 2024, roughly 30km from the Sudanese border, after it had predated two goats belonging to local herders in Wadi Yahmib in the Elba Protected Area, according to a new study published in the journal Mammalia.
"My first reaction was disbelief until I checked the photos and videos of the remains,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Adbullah Nagy from Al-Azhar University in Egypt. “Seeing the evidence, I was completely taken aback. It was beyond anything we had expected to find in Egypt.”
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What was the spotted hyena doing in Egypt?
Spotted hyenas are skilled pack hunters, typically found in various habitats across sub-Saharan Africa. They can travel up to 27km a day, often following human-managed livestock migrations and scavenging when the opportunity arises. Until now, they hadn't been seen in Egypt for millennia.
Researchers say that changes in climate may have opened new migration routes. They suggest that a natural weather cycle known as the Active Red Sea Trough may have increased rainfall and plant growth in the region, creating better conditions for prey animals and making it easier for the hyena to travel.
To test their theory, the team used satellite imagery taken between 1984 and 2022 to analyse changes in vegetation levels. Their findings showed alternating periods of drought and relative wetness, with the past five years experiencing greater plant growth than the previous two decades. This could have supported more prey species, in turn making the area more habitable for a hyena.
“But why this particular hyena made such a long journey into Egypt remains a mystery,” says Nagy. “Further research is needed to understand its motivations.”
The discovery challenges existing ideas about the spotted hyena’s range and highlights the impact of regional climate changes on wildlife movements, the authors conclude.
Find out more about the study: First record of the spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta in Egypt during the past 5,000 years
Main image: spotted hyena/Getty
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