Scientists say spotted hyenas deserve respect not contempt. More often than not, they hunt down their prey rather than scavenge. They are fabulously intelligent, with massive brains and one of the most complex social set ups of any carnivore.
Meanwhile Karl Marx, a great philosopher from Germany said "class" is determined entirely by one's relationship to the means of production.
In general terms the meaning of class doesn't end in our villages, townships and cities where the difference is clearly seen from one person to another or a location against others.
From our neighbourhood, social classes are available in national parks such as Mikumi, Tarangire, Saadani, Ruaha and special reserved areas such as Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Class differences are noticeable in sky, water and in the savannah where it's submissively practiced by spotted hyenas.
Unlike other communal societies of savannah, spotted hyenas live in a large social organisation which is governed by a hierarchical structural system.
The social system of hyena is competitive also differentiates itself from Karl Marx's theory of class because it opens a wide door of oppression for some of its members.
Hyenas may work together while searching for a kill but afterwards access for food is limited to those who have power to dominate others.
This causes frustrations and chaotic situation to weaker members in the pack who may be forced to work hard to earn a meal at the time of food scarcity.
Mostly these aggressive behaviours are displayed by males which oppressively deny others the crucial mating opportunities with estrous females in the clan.
Brown hyenas of southern Africa live in a social hierarchy system where the strongest male and female form a coalition to dominate others in the pack which may consist of more than six individuals.
The monogamous stripped hyena of northern and eastern Africa male and female unite to raise their offspring while subjugating other weaker pairs in a home range covering more than 44 square kilometers.
This is a dominance situation whereby an individual through suppressive fighting establishes itself as a leader of others in a clan of hyenas.
After obtaining the highest position, the aggressor must use different tactics to stop sub dominant individuals from overpowering him or her.
The dominant hyena uses threats display which force weaker individuals to avoid him or her but those which are aspiring for the throne may try to fight with the incumbent leader.
Not only that, the crown holder is forced to work very hard through fighting to acquire new hunting grounds at the expense of his energy and sometime injuries.
In a clearly established hierarchical structural system, the aggressor will allow others to access food and other benefits available within the group.
These are opportunities to reproduce which sub dominant males may fight for so that they may avoid to die as barrens or fruitless in the wild.
The health, age and aggressive behaviours of the incumbent leader influence the situation of the pack as contenders of the throne are always on target.
To put a total grip of a group, male hyenas increase their testosterone level, in conjunction with other hormones from the adrenal glands. He builds enough energy to fight competitors and breed with almost every estrous female.
Among spotted hyenas females are larger than males, the big body size enables them to be dominant and demand respect from everyone in pack including males.
Something must be done for a foreign male to be welcomed into a strange pack, he must associate himself with the dominant female who may allow him in or force him out.
Many activities are involved here in a complex social society of hyena in the savannah.
These are always displayed at the beginning of the day when a full pack walks up and embarks on group ritualised greeting activity.
Among entire anatomic class of mammals, this is warmest, passionate, sensational and lovely greeting procedure because it involves the licking of alpha female's genital parts.
This is an emotional act which forces all subordinate individuals to submissively salute their queen or risk being forced out of the pack.
This is also a bound practice which brings together all potential hunters in pack as the alpha female is organising and leading a coalition for hunting activity.
Hand shake is a common greeting gesture in our neighbourhood but among hyena societies grooming is a passion gesture for greetings.
To be greeted, the high ranking hyena always raises one of its hind legs while the lower ranking member bow down to lick the genital parts.
This may be defined as a jungle salute which is conducted through opposite way from the common military one which forces the subordinate to initiate the act and wait for his superior to respond.
By licking the genital parts of high ranking females who owns the packs, spotted hyenas motivate each other while defending their territory or attacking a dangerous prey such as African buffalo.
Scientists say this can be clearly noticed when the pack goes out sweeping every part of the savannah as alpha females genital parts swell.
The swelling of female genital parts is considered by philosophers as the signal of strength and courage in a competitive environment of savannah.
In the whole of savannah this is one of cruel and oppressive social systems because cubs from a lower ranking mother are denied chance of being leaders of the pack in their entire lives.
It's a great desire for every female member in the pack to get higher position because it provides best chance to raise their offspring.
Among spotted hyena society a hierarchical position is inheritable resulting into a situation whereby the youngest female in the pack is obeyed and respected by oldest male in pack.
"I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles around my neck"
These are good words from Stanley Baldwin, a British conservative politician in 1930s.
On the other side zoologists say spotted hyenas are opportunists which take selfish advantage of any circumstance regardless of rules and outcomes to others.
In our neighbourhoods many people believe spotted hyenas are thieves who use fearful and offal voice to terrify their victims.
Some people say spotted hyenas are filthy animals which live by eating rotten animal carcasses which are abandoned by smart predators such as leopard.
These people continue to say these are ugly and coward animals which are not attractive like lions, Zebra, Cheetah and Thomson's gazelle.
Not only that, before many people's eyes, spotted hyenas are scavengers who dig graves to bring out corpses which they devour randomly while leaving behind leftovers.
On the other hand, scientists say these are smart animals which are equipped with a big brain capable of solving different problems.
This is a unique ability among animals which enable spotted hyenas to utilise all opportunities presented to them by nature in the savannah.
In a different way, spotted hyenas are capable to hunt and kill their own prey or eat corpse of animals which dies from natural cause.
Spotted hyenas are also well known for finishing up leftovers from super predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs.
By doing these tedious acts, spotted hyenas become scavengers who eat leftovers to clean the savannah and make it habitable for other animals.
On their side psychologists say spotted hyenas are opportunists which are motivated by self interests and not otherwise.
Unlike other species, spotted hyenas change their ways of life according to season, availabilities of resources and specifications of environments.
These abilities and habits make spotted hyenas to depend on what they hunt rather than going from one bush to another in search of dead bodies.
Spotted hyenas are not super predators but this is only possible because of their social life which enables them to live in a large group consisting up to 130 individuals.
To make things go well, the group is then divided into smaller families which are controlled by females.
It's estimated that at one time a family of spotted hyenas may consist not less than five cubs which depend on their mother for food and protection.
As we have seen from the beginning this is matrilineal society so males are allowed to live in their natal group until they are three years.
There after any male who goes above that limit is forced out and migrate to bachelor groups.
On the other hand females are allowed to stay in the family while following the classes of their mothers.
Scientists say these rules are good because they enable to breed, hunt and occupy an area in the savannah as their territory.
Normally spotted hyenas work or hunt individually but when they encounter a big prey they call others to join force and bring down a buffalo weighing more than 900 kilogrammes.
Inside the vast savannah grassland spotted hyenas get their prey through listening voice from a group of wildebeest or smelling an odour of calf hiding in a bush.
Scientists say spotted hyenas are equipped by powerful ears which are capable of picking a small sound which is coming from more than ten kilometres away.
While running as if they don't like to do it, spotted hyenas will run from one part to another across a group of zebra, wildebeests or gazelles while searching for a suitable prey.
Then the selected prey is separated from the rest but scientists say this trick changes according to species, health, age and environment where the attack is to be launched.
After selection the prey is normally surrounded and pursued in opposite direction, this is done at a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour for five kilometers.
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Sometime spotted hyenas are forced to take special steps when attacking a lonely buffalo because they know it's capable of sending stress calls to its brothers and sisters.
Some animals are capable to defend themselves, in this case spotted hyenas are forced to join force in a group of 10 to 25 individuals to attack a single zebra.
Like a trained section of an army in a battle ground, spotted hyenas form a semi circle which allows all to step forward to attack or retreat.
Unlike wildebeest which don't defend themselves, it's very difficult for spotted hyenas to hunt and kill zebra because of their powerful kicks which kill some careless predators.
This is because a male zebra which is also known as Stallion normally comes forward to protect his group by sending in the air powerful kicks randomly.
This forces hyenas to spend more time to frustrate the group and when they grab a slimiest opportunity the prey is chased at a top speed of 15 to 30 kilometers per hour.
In Serengeti whenever you see a lonely spotted hyena going from one bush to another don't mind because it's looking for smaller prey such as Thomson's gazelle.
These are agile animals which are capable to sprint very fast to catch one of them, spotted hyenas are forced to go after them at a top speed of 60 kilometers per hour for about five kilometers where the gazelle may be exhausted.
Unlike lions and leopards which kill their prey through suffocation, spotted hyenas chop large portions of meat from a live prey.
This is due to the law of the jungle which opens hell's doors to weaker individuals of the savannah at the benefit of life to stronger ones.
In a ruthless way this law allows hyenas to target delicate parts such as stomach and hips of a frustrated wildebeest or impala which die slowly in pain.
An ultimate death swallow an impala step by step as it loses some of its important body parts to nasty killers which are motivated by a desire to fill their empty stomachs.
In a research which was conducted in Ngorongoro crater in 1970 by Hans Kruuk, it was reported that spotted hyenas eat what they hunt unlike lions which scavenge at the time of scarcity.
In villages which surround game reserve such as Maswa or national parks like Serengeti, people believe these are stubborn animals which terrify people at night through their evil like voice.
Scientists say spotted hyena use different sounds to call other or to put threats to their competitors.
