Most efficient scavenger

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) utilizes the carcasses of large vertebrates such as zebras and wildebeest more efficiently than any other carnivore. Its jaw muscles and teeth are strong enough to crush large bones - the teeth exert a pressure of 800 kg/cm² (11,378 lb/in²) - and its powerful digestive system can break down the organic matter of bones, hooves, horns and hides - no other animal has this ability.

In one extreme example, a group of 38 spotted hyenas was once seen to dismember an adult zebra in less than 15 minutes, leaving behind little more than a few scraps when they had finished. The few indigestible remains, such as fur and the unwanted parts of horns and hooves are regurgitated as pellets within 24 hours. While most other carnivores waste up to 40 % of their kills, this remarkably efficient system enables the spotted hyena to extract the utmost nourishment from a carcass.