The dark side

摘要

The relationship between the lion and the hyena is usually portrayed as noble king of the beasts vs skulking, cowardly scavenger. Martin Dohrn's observations on the Serengeti plains cast a different light on the stereotypes. On my first visit to theshort grass plains of the southern Serengeti, they were as parched and dry as any desert. But when the rains arrived, fresh carpets of zebra, wildebeest and Thomson's gazelles (tommies) rolled out from the distant hills, transforming the treeless steppes.The short green grass was interspersed with flowers of every colour. As huge Kori bustards limbered up for their bizarre courtship displays, smaller birds filled the air with a constant chorus. Dung beetles dug frantically, aerating and nourishing thesoil before being hoovered up by flocks of thousands of European white storks wandering among the herds.