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Notes from kenya
mara hyena research

Ever wonder what 7,000 pounds of meat looks like?

11/17/2008

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Author: Kate

Once upon a time, a hippo lived in a water hole about a kilometer north of our camp. One night, that hippo went out grazing, as he did every evening. Unfortunately, he never made it home. A group of hungry lions were lying in ambush, and hunted the hippo down just a few hundred meters from his little pool.
Picture
In the interest of science, I've decided to document where those 3 tons of hippo meat go, day by day. Here's the carcass about 12 hours after the hippo was killed. Two male lions were at the kill, and from the size of their bellies, they had apparently been gorging themselves all night.
Picture
These guys were already so full that they could barely breathe. They'd nibble half-heartedly on some meat, then waddle away a few feet and lie down to rest and digest.
Picture
In 12 hours, the lions have barely made a dent in the massive carcass. However, they haven't had any competition for their prize yet. We'll have to wait to see what happens overnight.

**By the way, I know not everyone is as interested in seeing photos of carcasses as we are. If these posts get too gross, comment and let me know!
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    Notes From Kenya is a blog run by the students in the Holekamp Lab at Michigan State University, College of Natural Science, East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A.

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  • Home
  • Research
    • Spotted Hyena >
      • Hyena Publications
      • Carnivore Conservation
      • Communication
      • Cognition
      • Demography
      • Interspecific Competition and Anti-Predator Behavior
      • Socioendocrinology
      • Project Database
    • Arvicanthis niloticus
    • Belding's Ground Squirrel
    • Benefits of our Research
  • People
    • Kay Holekamp >
      • CV
    • Graduate Students
    • Lab Alumni
    • Lab Staff
  • Prospective Students
  • Courses
    • Study abroad: BEAM
  • About Hyenas
    • Images
  • Contact
  • Donate