Even though it is dangerous to attribute human emotions to animals, I think the word “love” can be applied to animal relationships too. Not everything is purely a protective instinct to ensure the survival of the family group.
Hyenas must be some of the ugliest, meanest animals in the African bush, but they are the most loving, patient mothers. These two let those pups climb all over them, and chew on them, without losing their tempers.
©WMB/notesfromafrica.wordpress.com
©WMB/notesfromafrica.wordpress.com
To join in the fun go to Weekly Photo Challenge: Love.
Notes from Africa 
Maybe that’s where the saying “a face only a mother could love” came from!
Actually the baby hyenas are quite cute.
I know they aren’t “nice” animals, but those are “nice” pictures!
Thanks – it was lucky that we saw this little family close to the road.
Great subject for this week’s photo challenge. Those pups are quite cute. 🙂
Thanks Jackie! I agree the pups are cute.
Lovely post, and i agree, aspects of animal sentience run deeper than our sense of anthropomorphism.
Thanks! That is a beautiful way of expressing it. 🙂
I used to go eeeuuuwwww at hyenas…but they are growing on me
I’ve seen them up close a couple of times, and they still remain very odd creatures to me. But the little ones are really cute, and behave like any other animal babies.
Oh, I don’t know: I have seen so many animals on photo, film and TV being such incredible parents that us two-legged ‘creatures’ perhaps sometimes fall behind . . . methinks most animals are actually less selfish and more giving 🙂 ! ?
Yes, you’re right about that. We humans should really get over the notion that we’re the superior beings!
Christine (from http://bernasconiphotography.wordpress.com/) emailed me the other day. Thanks for “introducing” us! 🙂
Am glad! She is warm, caring, interesting and very talented 🙂 !
I too find hyenas rather unappealing creatures because of their scavenging habits and their bizarre laugh-bark, but I agree with you that the pups do look cute. And, like vultures, they do have a valuable role to play in cleaning up the veld of carcasses…
I like your photographic interpretation of the ‘love’ challenge, Lisa; it was an educational and thought-provoking post.
Thanks Reggie! It was either the hyenas or a photo of our cat and dog sleeping together and looking cute! 😉
Aww, that was a difficult choice; I probably would’ve gone instinctively for the latter. But I think you probably taught us more about our unspoken preferences and judgements by choosing the hyena parents and their pups. So – good choice. 🙂
It was a difficult choice, but if I gave free reign to my natural instincts, this blog would be full of cute kitty/cute doggie photos. 🙂
Chuckle – so would mine!
Of course animals love each other! As a scientist I am pleased to say that at long last we are beginning to allow that animals have feelings: it has taken far too long, and far too much arrogance on our part, but finally the tide is turning. It must vary from species to species, but as yet we do not know enough.
I had two ponies, and one died. The other mourned for months and actually cried real tears during the first few weeks. I had no idea ponies or horses could cry. His health suffered and the vet said that his whole immune system had gone down with the grief. Just because an animal lives differently and expresses itself differently does not mean that it does not have strong feelings. Lovely photos:)
Yes, even animals from different species form close bonds. Our cat and dog are good mates. You can see there is genuine affection between them. That they know they are part of the same “family”.
I love the way you described the hyenas
“..the ugliest, meanest animals in the African bush, but they are the most loving, patient mothers…”
That is love.
Hah hah I shared a picture of our cat and dog sleeping together in my post on love. I called the post – “I lived with a barbed wire fence in my mouth”.
I saw your wonderful picture of your cat and dog sleeping together. So cute how the cat is snuggled right against the dog’s tummy. [Anybody wanting to see the photo, scroll down to the bottom of this post – http://wp.me/pN0M1-1u7 ].
Even hyenas have a role in the big ecological picture. I have also watched hyenas and their young and they are delightful!
They are fascinating creatures to watch.