Striped Hyenas and India's Clean

Why in News?

A recent report underscores the ecological service provided by the striped hyena in removing livestock and wildlife carcasses across India's open grasslands and human-dominated rural landscapes.

Key Highlights of the Species

• Sanitation & Disease Vector Control - Striped hyenas act as primary scavengers, clearing decaying carcasses and organic waste that would otherwise harbor pathogens causing diseases like anthrax, rabies, and bovine tuberculosis.
• Bone-Cracking Adaptation - Powerful jaws and specialized dentition enable them to crack and consume heavy bones, recycling essential minerals (like calcium and phosphorus) back into the soil matrix.
• High Gastric Acidity - Highly acidic stomach juices (elevated levels of hydrochloric acid) allow hyenas to digest putrid, microbe-laden flesh without contracting infections.
• Generational Denning Behavior - Unlike many sympatric carnivores, hyenas utilize long-term, multi-generational subterranean burrows, caves, and rock crevices for raising cubs and sheltering during daylight hours.

Threats

• Cultural Myths & Superstitions - Frequently demonized in rural folklore as evil omens, "steeds of witches," or grave robbers, leading to deliberate persecution and retaliatory poisoning.
• Loss of "Wasteland" Grasslands- Open natural ecosystems (ONEs) and semi-arid scrublands are frequently classified as "wastelands," leading to rapid land diversion for real estate, solar parks, and industrial corridors.
• Persecution & Linear Infrastructure- High mortality rates from vehicle collisions on highways traversing scrubland habitats, open agricultural wells, and stray dog pack aggression.

Striped Hyena

Reference

The Hindu | Striped hyenas help keep India clean