I think the public still perceives hyenas as a rotten,
smelly scoundrel that is no-good-for-nothing scavenger.
And I think people really believe that the world would
be better off without them.
They've kind of put them in the same category as vermin.
And this couldn't be further from the truth.
Hopefully, doing a project like this can, yet again,
show people that these are actually
highly intelligent animals, and they have a real purpose.
And yeah, we've got to hopefully get
people loving you guys, huh?
That would be an achievement.
Huh?
You are pretty cool.
NARRATOR: Hyenas use sound to recognize
intruders, and each other.
Their highly social nature means they have evolved
a broad range of vocalizations.
From the moment they are born, cubs
use a noise called a squitter to communicate with their mothers.
Perhaps the most famous sound of all
is the giggle that gives them the nickname, laughing hyena.
But there is nothing funny about this noise.
It signals high stress, often heard
when they come across their arch enemies, lions.
CHRISTINE DREA: It's a sound that animals
make when there's competition.
It's a sound that low-ranking animals make when they're
either getting beaten up or afraid
they won't get access to food.
NARRATOR: Every hyena has an individual whoop,
with a unique sound pattern.
The hyena equivalent of signing your name.
[WHOOPING SOUNDS]
It helps them coordinate their movements hunting,
and keep track of their clan members.
Now, Kevin is going to try an experiment
to see how hyenas respond when they hear
intruders in their territory.
To protect his equipment from inquisitive teeth and claws,
Kevin is taking to the safety of a cage.
He's not sure how they'll react.
So what's really interesting about the whoop is,
if I played any human a whoop, they are just going to go,
that's a hyena whooping.
But with these guys, it's so much more than that.
They can recognize who it is, individual clan members.
So they can put a face to that whoop.
NARRATOR: Like lions, hyenas are also highly territorial.
Kevin plays the whoop of a total stranger
that this clan has never heard before.
OK.
[WHOOPING SOUNDS]
NARRATOR: Tikka approaches the sound and lowers his head,
as he starts to whoop in response.
[WHOOPING SOUNDS]
A call that rallies together the dominant hyenas to search
for the intruder.
[WHOOPING SOUNDS]
And then they came and they greeted each other,
just to reaffirm their bonds.
OK, guys, we're going to band together to go and fight
this guy, wherever he might be.
It was what you would expect if there was an unfamiliar hyena
in their territory.
They're going to understand, where does he come from?
Why is there?
Let's get rid of him.
So it certainly evoked a really interesting response.