It's not a sentiment you'll see on an inspirational poster anytime soon: When facing a problem, sheer persistence is not enough. At least, not if you're a hyena. Presented with a latched box holding a hunk of meat, wild hyenas tried hard to extract the food. Their success depended on their fearlessness and the number of different strategies they tried, but not on hard work.
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are hardy and adaptable animals. They're resourceful hunters, taking down prey alone or in groups, and they navigate complex social situations among their clans. They're the most common large carnivore in sub-Saharan Africa. To study the animals' problem-solving skills, Michigan State University graduate student Sarah Benson-Amram challenged a wild population of spotted hyenas with a meat-filled puzzle.
For a year, Benson-Amram drove through Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve administering pop quizzes to hyenas. Whenever she spotted a subject, she stopped the ...
