One of the main priorities of new RAs is to familiarize
themselves with the hyenas, and the Talek camp is responsible for both Talek
West and Fig Tree clans. Combined, there
are around 200 hyenas that Talek West observes, and with hyenas having 2 sides,
there are 400 unique sides to learn! It
takes 2 – 3 months on average for a new RA to feel comfortable recognizing the
majority of the hyenas.
RAs use patterns they see in the spots to identify
hyenas. Single spots, shapes, or even
pictures are used to ID a hyena. Some
hyenas have obvious patterns that everyone sees, while other hyenas are more
difficult to discern. Below is a picture
of a hyena named Hope Solo (HOPE).
The
RAs of Talek West each see a different pattern within his spots. Benson (Red) sees the word “IT” on her hind
leg. Ashlei (Blue) sees a “S” in the same
location. Wilson (Purple) sees the
number “9” and the letter “I” on his side.
Agathe (White) see the letter “U” on the side too, and Chase (Green) sees a
face on the side as well.
Here are more examples of some hyenas with the patterns that
I see on their sides.
 |
| Tierra del Fuego (TIRA) |
 |
| Cal Ripken Jr. (RPKN) |
 |
| Barnacle (BNCL) |
 |
| Rio Negro (RION) |
 |
| Cyberman (CYBR) |
To become more familiar with the patterns, senior RAs
(everybody but me) quiz new RAs (me) on hyenas during morning and evening
observation. This is how it goes:
Me: “I’m not really
sure… Is it BAEZ?”
Benson: (Acerbic
tone) “No. BAEZ has a collar.”
Chase: (Laughter) “BENSON!”
Me: “Give me a break! I have been here 3 weeks!”
In addition, there are other traits (such as collars) that
can be used to ID hyenas, which Ashlei will share in a future blog.
Before I leave you, here is a quick quiz.
Who is this hyena from above?
ANSWER: Barnacle
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1 comment:
Great post but the absolute best for loyal followers is the photo of CYBERMAN!!! We have worried about her since her mom was poisoned last April. It is wonderful to see her! There are many folks who would love to hear news of her.
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