Hyenas

Hyenas are four-legged carnivorous mammals. They are kinda like dogs, but differ in many ways, including biologically. Hyenas are mostly found in North Africa and are predators that will hunt for prey and kill with their teeth. Many hyenas are also scavengers. Two of the most prominent breeds of hyenas are spotted hyenas and striped hyenas. Hyenas are also distinctive for the sounds they make, which some have compared to laughter.

The folks over at Walt Disney Productions would probably have you believe that most hyenas are lazy quipsters that lay about waiting for a more authoritative animal, such as a lion, to lead them to a good food source. They also tend to sound a lot like Cheech Marin and Whoopi Goldberg. In Disney's The Lion King, there are three hyenas of note, whose names are Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. They follow an eeeevil lion named Scar who seeks to dominate the terrain once held by his brother the king, Mufasa. Scar had the three hyenas instigate a stampede of wildebeest that trampled and killed Mustafa. Mufasa's natural heir, Simba, who was very young and impressionable, was manipulated into leaving the region, thus allowing Scar to take control. However, things quickly soured under Scar's rule as food stock was running short, and the hyenas began to starve. When Scar attempted to blame their current state on the hyenas, they turned against him. Scar was ultimately defeated by his nephew Simba, now an adult, who had returned to the region to claim his role as king.

Appearances

 * Exorcist: The Beginning
 * Lion King, The