It’s not unusual to hear hyenas at night in the African bush, but it is unusual to see them. While on a night safari in the Kalahari, we caught a quick glimpse of this hyena making a meal from a dead carcass. The ranger on our safari basically freaked out when she saw what was going on, continuously repeating that we were SO lucky to have seen a hyena eating in the dark. From inside our safari vehicle it was cool, but it was just one more reason I didn’t want to be out of the electric fenced campground at night. That and the lines that were roaring 300m away.
This picture was taken at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park on the border of South Africa and Namibia. We were staying at Nossob rest camp, the furthest into the park.
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IF YOU GO: We spent our time in South Africa bouncing from national park to national park and had an amazing time. The parks have electric fences around the campgrounds so even if you have a ground tent you’ll be fine at night. Feel free to read our other posts from South Africa, including our mini guide to South Africa and a review of the SANParks WildCard Pass. Although South Africa can be expensive to get to, be sure to check for late deal offers if you’re timing is flexible.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures says
We had a hyena creep into where we were having dinner in the bush as well! Scared the sh*t out of me when I heard it laughing!!!
Tomek says
We had a similar experience in Kruger on a night drive, hyenas eating a buffalo’s head and not quite happy about the paparazzi around. We felt a little uneasy seeing them forming kind of attacking position behind the open bus. ..
Mark Wiens says
That is so rare, and looks like a thrilling site. Awesome that you were able to take the photo.
Scott - Quirky Travel Guy says
What a great sight. Also good to know there are electric fences around the campground… that would put my mind at ease.