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Aardwolf
Aardwolf · Proteles cristata
A shy, slender relative of the hyena that looks like a small striped dog with a bushy mane it can raise to look bigger. Despite its hyena family ties, the aardwolf is gentle and feeds almost entirely on termites, lapping up tens of thousands a night with its sticky tongue. It has weak jaws and tiny teeth because it never needs to crunch bones.
Log your Aardwolf sighting — free →How to identify it
Like a small, striped, maned hyena — far slighter than spotted or brown hyenas, with vertical body stripes.
Look for its tracks
Small hyena-family print, but FIVE front toes with claws (true hyenas show four); dog-sized, on night roads.
Where to see it in Kruger
Rare and nocturnal; favours open grassland and savanna with termites, occasionally seen on night drives.
Did you know
A single aardwolf can lick up around 250,000 termites in one night.
Often confused with
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