Scavenging hyenas save carcass disposal costs

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

A new study estimates the monetary benefits of striped hyenas scavenging on livestock carcasses and wild prey in Rajasthan’s Sawai Mansingh Wildlife Sanctuary.

Details:

The waste disposal services provided by striped hyenas may also play a role in hindering disease transmission.
Educating local communities on the monetary benefits of striped hyenas scavenging services may play a role in removing their negative image and aid in the conservation of these carnivores.

Hyenas:

Four species of hyenas exist in the world, of which, one, the striped hyena, is found in India.
Sporting a dog-like appearance, striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) are large, solitary carnivores that inhabit arid and semiarid landscapes from East Africa to South Asia.
The shy, nocturnal animals rarely hunt or kill livestock. Instead, they feed opportunistically on remains of animals predated by larger carnivores such as tigers and leopards and discarded domestic livestock carcasses.
The main diet of the striped hyenas is livestock, mainly cows and buffaloes but wild prey such as nilgai, sambar, wild boar, and chital also contribute to the diet of striped hyenas.
Ecological significance of Hyenas:
- Owing to their powerful jaws and teeth, hyenas have a unique ability to crush and consume bones. Without bone scavengers, skeletons would take many years to decompose depending on the environmental conditions.
- The concentration of calcium and phosphorus, key components of bones, in hyena fecesis between 1,000 to 20,000 times higher than in local soils in two reserves in southern Africa.
- Consequently, the soils in which hyenas defecate will become enriched with these nutrients, changing the fertility of the landscape with important implications for plant growth, community composition and animal diet quality.

Source: Mongabay