April 27th is International Hyena Day which advocates for changing the public's perspective on hyenas, and seeing their importance on Earth.
Hyenas don't have the greatest reputation due to centuries of bad publicity through literature and folklore.Spread through Africa and Asia, hyenas are intelligent mammals living in clans of 10 to 120 animals. They are skilled hunters, and not only scavengers which still makes them essential to prevent the spread of disease. They have highly acidic stomachs to break down their food, even though it isn't the freshest quality.
Hyenas are vulnerable to extinction because of habitat loss and persecution by farmers and poachers.
When I share any book about African animals with students they like the 'big ones' and the scavengers...the hyenas, jackals and vultures. Our library doesn't have many books on the scavengers. It only has four information books, but we do have some stories that are worth a look:
• Hungry Hyena by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway
• Pinduli by Janell Cannon
• The Ugly Five by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
• Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff? by Julia Jarmin and Garry Parsons
• Henry Hyena, Why Won't You Laugh? by Doug Jantzen
• Noka's Surprise Party by Fiona Moodie
• That's Not Funny! by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds
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