Spotted Hyena Cub

Kruger Park, S Africa
2014:05:06
At the den entrance - cute, for NOW

D800
80-400mm @ 400mm
1/800 sec, f/8
Mode: Av
Metering: Spot
ISO: 2800
AF mode: AF-C
White balance: AUTO1+2

In the hyena family, there are four species of hyenas: spotted (Crocuta crocuta), striped and brown hyenas, and a smaller species known as the aardwolf. Although hyenas appear similar to dogs, they are actually more closely related to cats. They live throughout much of Africa, and a clan can have as many as 80 individuals.
Often depicted only as scavengers, they are actually skillful hunters.

Their massive jaw muscles generate roughly nine thousand Newtons of bite force at their primary bone-cracking teeth - several times the amount of bite force generated by human jaws - allowing hyenas to crack open large bones to get to the fat-rich marrow in the center.