Amazing Photographs of Striped Hyena Mother and Cub

Wildlife photographer Rajesh Pardeshi had been on the lookout for days for the nocturnal striped hyenas, an endangered species. But being an animal that prowls in the night, the task to spot it was a difficult one. The photographer though got lucky when one mother hyena brought her pups out of a hidden burrow and allowed Rajesh to take some amazing pictures in broad daylight!

Hyenas are scavengers and creatures of the night that prefer to rest by the day and remain in hiding in their caves, ravines or behind bushes. But wildlife photographer Rajesh Pardeshi caught one family in broad daylight in Ahmednagar, India. The moment was especially unique because it was not just an adult hyena but also her brood of pups that the photographer snapped.

Says Rajesh, “These photos were taken about 35km from my home town. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this hyena mother with her brood in broad daylight. It is very, very rare to see them out in the open like this. I have been tracking striped hyena for the last few years and these are the best images I’ve got.”

He also adds, “Because they are nocturnal animals it is very difficult to get decent pictures taken in good light. And to be able to get the mother with the cubs is an extremely rare event. I’m used to sleeping outdoors and I spend many days trying to get shots like this.”

Striped hyenas are endangered and there are only 10,000 of these animals left in the wild. What Rajesh liked most of the photographs was the fact that the mother was very protective of her kids.

“I like these pictures because they are something of a triumph. But I also like them because like any good mother the female hyena is protecting her cubs, which is nice to see.”

As can be seen in the pictures, the kids were not shy of the camera either. In one pose the kids are looking at the sky as if the blue color is a new discovery knowing only the dark black nights and the mother howls at the rising moon. The other has been taken of mother and one pup moments before she begins to clean him.