Serengeti hyenas manage to keep clans stable as climate change alters animal migrations
Although the main prey of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), migratory ungulates such as blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), now spend substantially less time within hyena territories than they did 30 years ago, hyena clans in the central Serengeti have remained largely stable.
Spotted hyenas in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park have maintained stable clans despite a decline in migratory prey within their territories. Over the past three decades, the presence of migratory herds like blue wildebeest within clan territories decreased from around 12% to 7% of the year, primarily due to increased rainfall altering their migration patterns.
Despite this change, hyenas have continued to primarily feed on migratory prey species and have not shifted to lower-density resident prey. The hyenas' behavior of commuting long distances (up to 150 kilometers) to areas with concentrated migratory herbivores appears to help them cope with the reduced local prey availability. While hyenas' reliance on migratory prey and their long-distance foraging trips seem to buffer the impact of decreased local prey, other factors such as potential increases in migratory ungulate numbers or reduced hyena mortality could also contribute to the stable clan sizes.
Human activities, including tourism and infrastructure development, may also influence prey distribution. Understanding how predators respond to climate-induced changes in prey distribution is crucial for predicting the future impacts of climate change on wildlife populations worldwide.
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