Hyenas and Aardwolves
Alright, imagine you're at the zoo, and you're walking past a cool-looking enclosure. You stop and see a creature with a body like a small hyena, but the plaque says this quirky animal is not a hyena but an aardwolf. The name "aardwolf" comes from the Afrikaans language. The name means “earth wolf” because they love to dig, and they live in burrows. Aardwolves do not hunt for game like hyenas do. Nope! Aardwolves are insect hunters — and they're really good at it!
Being shy, aardwolves like to mind their own business but they do have superpowers that help keep them alive. Their big, pointy ears work like insect radar, helping them listen for the buzzing sounds of underground insects. The fur of an aardwolf is its superhero cape, making it one of the ninjas of the African savannah. Their perfect camouflage helps them blend in and stay hidden from predators. Another superpower they have is night vision, which helps them see their nighttime world.
Just around the corner from the aardwolves at the zoo you’ll see a very distant cousin of the aardwolf, the hyenas. Both animals might look like wild dogs, but would you believe they are actually more closely related to cats? There are four main types of hyenas, but the most famous one is the spotted hyena. These animals are found mostly in Africa. They’re smart, strong and, like the aardwolves, they have lots of cool skills!
A hyena’s famous "laugh" is its most famous superpower. This noise is actually one way for the creatures to talk to each other, even from miles away. As a matter of fact a group of hyenas is called a cackle which is another word for laughter. And hyenas talk a lot making other sounds like growls, grunts, and howls. They also have bionic jaws that help them eat things too tough for other animals, like bones! These creatures are smart and often work together to solve problems. Hyenas might not look like fast runners at first, but they can actually run at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour! This ability lets the cackle run down large game. Other than hunting food, hyenas are thieves and do not mind stealing another animal's dinner or leftovers. They’re strong, and vital members of the animal kingdom.