Mammals

long and bushy (less so in the spotted hyena). Spotted hyenas will eat

almost anything, but in the wild much of their food comes from mammals

heavier than 44 lb. which they mostly kill for themselves. The frequency of

hunting depends on the availability of carrion; spotted hyenas will loot

the kills of other carnivores, including lions. Group feeding is often

noisy, but rarely involves serious fighting. Instead, each hyena gorges

extremely rapidly on up to 33 lb. of flesh. Pieces of a carcass may be

carried away to be consumed at leisure or, occasionally, stored underwater.

It seems that the success of spotted hyenas is ensured through

individual and cooperative hunting and sharing of food between adults.

Cooperation also extends to communal marking and defense of the territory,

in which both sexes play a similar role, whether or not they are related.

Competition within the clan can, however, be intense. The system of

communication shows adaptations, which reduce aggression and coordinate

group activities. Such competition probably provided the selection pressure

whereby females evolved their large size and dominant position, which in

turn relates also to levels of testosterone in the blood that are

indistinguishable from those of the male. Thus female spotted hyenas are

able to feed a small number of offspring alone and protect them from the

more serious consequences of interference by other hyenas, particularly

unrelated males.

WHY THEY LAUGH

Hyenas are often called "solitary," a label which obscures the fact

that their social systems are among the most complex known for mammals.

Spotted hyenas employ elaborate meeting ceremonies and efficient long-range

communication by scent and sound. Even when moving alone, spotted hyenas

maintain some direct contact with their fellows. They respond to sounds,

which are only audible to humans with the aid of an amplifier and

headphones.

Calls audible to the unaided human ear include whoops, fast whoops,

yells and a kind of demented cackle that gives this species its alternative

name of laughing hyena. Whoop calls, in particular, are well-suited to long-

range communication as they carry over several kilometers; each call is

repeated a number of times, which helps the listener to locate the caller,

and each hyena has a distinctive voice. Infant hyenas will answer the pre-

recorded whoops of their mothers, but not those of other clan hyenas.

LIONS

AFRICAN LION: FAMILY CATS

Lions are among the most admired animals on earth. Their strength and

beauty, combined with their bold nature, have fascinated people for ages.

In fact, the lion has often been called the "king of the beasts." And when

you see a big male lion, with its magnificent main and proud walk, it's

easy to understand why. Lions really do look like kings.

But lions don't always lead the easy lives of kings. They often need

to work hard to survive. Lions are meat eaters, or carnivores, so they must

hunt other animals for food. And sometimes prey is hard to find. When food

is scarce, a lion may go for days without eating.

Lions are members of the big cat family, which includes tigers,

leopards, and jaguars. The main difference between the big cats and all

other cats is that generally big cats can roar but cannot purr. Other cats

can purr but cannot roar.

The lion is one of the biggest cats in the world. Only the Siberian

tiger is larger. A male lion may be 9 to 10 feet long (3 meters) and can

weigh 500 pounds (227 kilograms) or more. Female lions are smaller. The

average female is 7 to 8 feet long (2 l/2 meters) and weighs 270 to 350

pounds (140 kilograms).

Lions are different from most other cats in that they live in groups

called prides. They hunt together, guard their territory together, and

raise their young together. Lions that live in groups can catch more food

than a single lion can. And they can protect themselves better. Also, lions

that are born into groups have a large family to care for them.

There are two different kinds, or subspecies, of lions: the African

and the Asiatic. Most of the lions in the world today are African lions.

These animals live on the grassy plains of Africa. The few Asiatic lions

that remain live on a small wildlife preserve in India. There were once

many other kinds of lions in the world but all of these are now extinct.

Lions sometimes climb high up into trees to rest on their branches and

escape the biting insects below.

The body of a lion is made for catching prey. Most of the time, lions

try to get very close to their prey before they attack it. Then they make a

big leap and grab the prey. To help them get close without being seen,

lions have golden-brown coats that blend in with the land around them. And

to help them leap, they have strong muscles in their legs. A lion can leap

35 feet (10.5 meters) through the air in a single jump.

Lions do most of their hunting at night, so they have wonderful

hearing and eyesight to help them find prey in the dark. Their hearing is

so sharp, they can hear prey that is more than a mile away. Lions can turn

their ears from side to side to catch sounds coming from almost any

direction. When a lion is moving through tall grass, it may not always be

able to see its prey -- but it can always hear it. The eyes of lions are

the biggest of any meat-eating animal. Like the eyes of other cats, they

are specially made for seeing at night.

Lions often work together when they hunt. By doing this, they increase

their chances of getting food. A lion that hunts alone may have a hard time

catching prey.

Most of the hunting is done by a team of females. They divide the job

among them, with each female doing part of the work to catch the prey. Some

of the females scare prey animals and make them run -- while other females

lie in ambush to grab the fleeing animals.

The extra strength of a male is sometimes needed to bring down larger

animals, like wildebeest or buffalo. And larger animals are the best prey,

because they provide more meat.

No matter how good a lion is at hunting, it misses more prey than it

catches. Sometimes lions will go for days without eating. If lions can't

find enough of their regular prey, they will eat smaller animals like hares

and tortoises -- and even porcupines.

When they can, lions get their food by taking it away from other

animals. This is often easier than hunting. In some parts of Africa, much

of the food that lions eat is taken away from hyenas. When food is really

scarce, lions will eat almost anything they can find -- including snakes,

locusts, termites, peanuts, fruit, and rotten wood.

Baby lions are called cubs. And like most baby animals they need lots

of loving care. A lion cub is totally helpless at birth. It is blind and

can barely crawl. And it weighs less than 5 pounds (2 kg).

Cubs are born in-groups called litters. Usually, there are three cubs

in a litter. But sometimes there are as many as five. For the first few

weeks of their lives, the cubs stay hidden in a safe place away from the

pride. Then their mother brings them out to join the "family."

In a pride, all of the females help take care of the cubs. When one

mother is away hunting, the other lions feed and watch over her young. But

sometimes, all of the adults join the hunt. Then the cubs are hidden in the

tall grass or among the rocks.

A cub is born with dark spots all over its body. Some people think

that the spots may make it harder for predators to see the cubs when they

are hidden.

A mother lion carries her babies in her mouth -- just like a

motherhouse cat. To keep predators from finding the cubs, she moves them to

a new hiding place every few days.

AFRICAN LION: FUTURE

Asiatic lions are endangered, and African lions have less living space

than in times past. This is because people are taking away their homes, or

habitats. The human population in Africa and Asia is rapidly growing, and

people are turning more and more land into farms and ranches. This means

that the lions have less food to eat and so it is harder for them to live.

Fortunately, wildlife organizations throughout the world are working

hard to save the lions' habitats. And governments in both Africa and India

have set aside special land where lions can live in safety.

AFRICAN LION: THE MANE CAT

Most experts agree that a lion will attack a human only if provoked.

But the experts also suggest that knowledge of the warning signs are

mandatory for anyone who travels by foot in the bush. An angry lion will

drop to a crouch, flatten its ears, and flick its tail tip rapidly from

side to side. Low grunts and growls can often be heard; and just prior to a

charge, the tail is jerked up and down. While these warning signs are

important, it is perhaps of greater importance that a lion can bolt from a

crouch and travel 40 yards in less than 2.7 seconds.

The lion is the largest of the African cats, weighing up to 200

kilograms (440 pounds). Of the big cats, only the tiger is of greater size.

The mane of a male lion is the most distinguishing characteristic of the

species, although a small percentage of lionesses also have manes. The mane

adds to the apparent size of a male lion, and it is believed that the mane

provides added protection during male-to-male combat. The mane begins to

develop at about one year of age but remains short and scraggly until the

male is three or four years old. Another physical characteristic of lions

is the tuft of long hairs at the end of the tail. This black tassel occurs

in both males and females. Often, when females have cubs or are being

courted by males, the tail tassel is carried high above the ground.

Researchers believe that this behavior allows cubs or males to maintain

visual contact with the female when she moves through dense vegetation.

Fortunately for us, it is also an excellent way for humans to maintain

visual contact.

LION: NO LONGER KING

You may have believed that African lions are the kings of the jungle.

Well, that's just not true. But the reason isn't because lions aren't the

lordly animals that you thought them to be; it's just that lions don't live

in the jungle. They live in the open savannas in Africa, which are grassy

plains with a few scattered trees.

Lions, of course, are big cats, but they're different from tigers,

leopards and other big cats because they are very social animals. They live

in a group called a "pride," which can have as many as 35 lions in it.

Adult female lions, or lionesses, and cubs make up most of each pride,

although two or three adult males live in it, too.

Hunting is how the lions get their food. They eat animals such as

zebras, gazelles, hartebeests, gnus and even buffalo. Lionesses do most of

the hunting but when it comes to eating, the adult males get their share

first.

Lions often hunt together. A couple of lions may chase the prey and

herd it toward other lions hiding in the grass. Then the hiding lions leap

out and ambush the prey.

When lions eat, they often eat a whole lot of meat all at once. It's

possible for a wild lion to eat up to 40 pounds of meat at one sitting. But

then it may fast for several days and not eat anything. While it's fasting,

the lion may be very, very lazy and just sleep a lot ... until its time to

eat again.

If you've ever heard the roar of a lion, you know what a thundering

sound it is. It's very possible for a lion's roar to be heard five miles

away if the wind conditions are right. Lions often roar just after the sun

goes down.

Male lions have manes around their necks. A young male will start to

grow a mane when he's about a year old. It's believed that the mane helps

protect the neck areas of males when they fight with each other.

Baby lions are called cubs. A lioness will usually have three or four

cubs in an area protected by rocks or brush. Many animals are born with

their eyes closed, but it's possible for a lion cub to be born with its

eyes open. The cubs are very playful and love to wrestle and stalk each

other. Lionesses often care for each other's cubs, which is a little bit

like baby-sitting.

Although African lions aren't an endangered species, there's a lion

subspecies that lives in Asia that is very rare and endangered.

So remember: While you may not be able to call a lion the king of the

jungle, there's certainly no reason you can't call him the king of beasts.

ASIAN LION

In the past, you could find hundreds of thousands of these lions in

the Middle East and Asia. Now, they number only 180, living on a small

wildlife preserve in India. Like the African lion, they've suffered from

the destruction of wild lands and from over hunting.

Once, people thought that Asian lions had shorter manes than African

lions, but that's not the case. Both can have either long or short manes.

WOLVES

COYOTE: PLACE IN THE FOOD CHAIN

Every animal on earth lives by eating some other living organism --

plant or animal. The sequence of eaten and eater is called a food chain.

The ultimate source of the energy contained in food comes from the sun. It

is stored in the grass, and passed on to the grasshoppers. The alligator

lizard, which eats the grasshopper, is the next link in the food chain. It,

in turn, is eaten by a roadrunner, which then falls victim to the coyote.

The coyote is called an ultimate consumer because nothing hunts it for

food.

But this food chain is a closed circle, the final link -- coyote --

being fastened to the first -- the grass. When the coyote dies, its

chemicals are broken down by bacteria and returned to the soil, where they

nurture more plant growth.

Like many wild dogs, the coyote is usually active at night, when it

can hunt safely. You can often see a coyote in the early evening and

morning, as it goes to and from its nighttime activities.

Coyotes can run as fast as 40 miles per hour, and at slightly slower

speeds, they can run for miles. If a coyote can stay close to its prey, it

has a good chance of getting a meal.

DHOLE

In hunting style, the dhole is like the hyena. It hunts in a pack with

other dholes, whining, barking and whistling as they go. Whistling usually

means that the hunt is unsuccessful, and the pack should reassemble for

another try.

It is almost impossible for a single dhole to kill a deer, but five to

twelve dholes can manage it together. After the kill, dholes compete for

the morsels by eating very fast. A dhole can chew up almost nine pounds of

meat in an hour.

Strong, wise, brave -- all these words describe the gray wolf. But

another word needs to be added to the list: endangered.

Two hundred years ago, the gray wolf roamed throughout North America.

But many of them were shot by European settlers and pioneers, who were busy

cutting down the wolves' forest home for houses and towns. Those wolves

that remained found fewer deer, moose and beaver to eat.

Today, the gray wolf continues to feel the impact of an expanding

human population. That, and the popular belief that wolves shouldn't live

near humans, continues to threaten their presence on our planet.

GRAY WOLF

Did you know that the gray wolf is the largest member of the dog

family? Apart from man, it once was the most widespread mammal outside the

tropics. As humans move into its habitat, the wolf had to move out.

Did you know that after humans, wolves may be the most adaptable

creatures of all? They're able to live in a wider variety of climates and

habitats than most other animals and can survive on many different kinds of

food.

BEST LEFT UNPROVOKED

Wolves prey on many species in the north -- musk ox, caribou, moose,

deer, hares and even rodents. These carnivores are among the most maligned

of all animals, victims of false myths and legends and systematic programs

of extinction. They are accused of attacking humans and destroying entire

herds of domestic animals. But their depredations of livestock are less

severe than often claimed. And unprovoked attacks by healthy wolves in

North America on humans are unknown. Those recorded from Europe's Middle

Ages are thought to have been by rabid animals or hybrids.

The world will be a far lonelier place if the last wolf dies. As

biologist Ernest P. Walker wrote in his book, MAMMALS OF THE WORLD, "The

howl of the wolf and coyote, which to some people is of more enduring

significance than superhighways and skyscrapers, should always remain a

part of our heritage."

.

PRIMATS

APES: FUTURE

The future of apes is up to us. All of the great apes are already on

the endangered species list, and all of the lesser apes are as well.

Scientists who have studied them agree that all great apes will soon die

out in the wild unless steps are taken now to protect them.

Gorillas and orangutans appear to have no natural enemies, and

chimpanzees have very few. Gibbons, because they move so fast and live so

high up in the trees, are safe from any animal. Nothing could threaten any

of the apes with extinction until man started hunting them, capturing them,

and destroying the wild lands in which they live.

Today, hunting of apes is against the law everywhere, and there are

strict regulations controlling the capture of wild apes. But illegal

hunting and trapping continues. And the greatest threat of all -- the

destruction of wild lands -- grows greater every day. Tropical forests are

being cut down faster today than ever before ... at the rate of one acre

every second, according to a recent report. At this incredible pace, the

homes of many wild creatures -- including apes -- are simply disappearing.

Most endangered of the apes are the mountain gorillas. Today, there

are less than 500 in Central Africa.

And the other apes are not much better off. Nobody is really sure how

many pygmy chimpanzees or bonobos survive in the jungles south of the Congo

River -- but it is probably less than 10,000. There are fewer than 5,000

orangutans still alive in scattered areas of Borneo and Sumatra. And the

numbers of lowland gorillas and chimpanzees are declining rapidly.

Fortunately, there are people who are trying to save the magnificent

apes. In Central Africa, governments are working to protect the last

remaining homes of mountain gorillas. They have even organized guards that

patrol the borders of gorilla preserves to keep the gorillas safe from

hunters. The World Wildlife Fund and other groups are raising money to buy

land and make sure that it will never be taken away from gorillas,

chimpanzees, orangutans, and gibbons. And scientists everywhere are

studying the apes to find new ways to help them.

BONOBO OR PYGMY CHIMPANZEE

Biologists who have studied the behavior of these animals say they are

the smarter of two species of chimpanzees. Their hair is parted at the

middle and wisps out to the sides of the head, giving them an obvious

physical distinction from the common chimpanzee.

Both species of chimps are intelligent. They belong to the select

animals that make and use tools. You might see a chimp defend himself with

a tree branch, or take a twig and turn it into a useful devise for

gathering or eating foods. Chimps also communicate with many gestures and

vocalizations.

People may feel especially drawn to chimps because of some similar

behaviors. Young chimps laugh when they're tickled. Bonobos quarrel over

food, but hug and kiss to make up.

BONOBO: WORKSHOP IN CONSERVATION

The bonobo or pygmy chimpanzee, is one of only four living species of

great apes. The other three species, the gorilla, orangutan, and common

chimpanzee, have received far greater attention until now. Not even

recognized as a separate species until 1929, the bonobo still remains much

of a mystery in its native habitat, the central rain forests of Zaire.

Often confused with the common chimpanzee, the bonobo is only slightly

smaller but has a more graceful, slender body; the head is smaller but the

legs are longer than those of common chimps. The most outstanding physical

difference is the bonobo's hairstyle, an attractive coiffure of long black

hairs neatly parted down the middle. To the experienced eye, the difference

between the chimpanzee and the bonobo is as great as the difference between

a leopard and a cheetah.

The bonobo is as rare in zoos (there are less than 80 in captivity

worldwide) as it is in the wild (estimates range from 5,000 to 20,000). In

1989, the entire San Diego Zoo group of 11 animals was relocated to the

Wild Animal Park.

No effective conservation plan for the bonobo could be developed

without firsthand knowledge of the only country that is home to this

critically endangered ape. International conservation projects are as much

a people issue as an animal issue; therefore, the needs of the local

Zairian people must be taken into account. Political, cultural, and

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