The aardwolf resembles a small hyena, yet this minor mammal is entirely insectivorous. A night safari in Kruger Park allows viewing of these shy animals.
Need Advice?They are golden blond-brown, with distinct black stripes running vertically down their sides and all around the top of their legs. They have long fur all around their body that protects against the ants and termites they feed on, almost making it look like they have a mane.
There are two disconnected stretches of the continent in which aardwolves can be found in the southern and eastern parts of Africa. Their distribution in Southern Africa includes the whole of South Africa and Botswana, along with most parts of Zimbabwe and Namibia and a few streaks of the south of Mozambique bordering South Africa. They are, however, not found in the harsher reaches of the Namib Desert in Namibia.
The aardwolf is one of those species which lives a very isolated life, and because of this, they seem endangered. They are, however, classified as "of least concern." Status classifications are based on how likely the species could become extinct. It is less likely when the individuals of a species are as solitary as aardwolves are – one would struggle to find any area throughout Africa where aardwolf populations exceed one individual per square kilometer. Their prey – mainly termites – are also not going to go extinct soon, which offers conservationists and admirers some assurance as to the health of the species.
They occur in most woodland, grassland, and savanna areas with significant grass cover or cover of another kind in which to find shelter. The main factor any of their habitats or living environments should have is a steady and reliable food source. Like most insectivores, this means borrowing near an ant or termite mound. Termites make up over 90% of their diet, the rest being insects like beetles or centipedes. One aardwolf can consume up to a quarter of a million termites in a single go. They must carefully spread their raids on a particular mound to allow the colony time to recover. Your chances of passing the home of an aardwolf are relatively good when driving past a termite mound anywhere in the Kruger National Park. However, your chances of seeing one in the flesh could be better.
Aardwolves are most active at night simply because they follow the schedule of their prey. Most termite predators are nocturnal because this is when termites go out to forage, leaving the colony more vulnerable. Aardwolves usually forage for termites alone and rarely come in contact with others of their species. A mother may have her young with her when she feeds them and teaches them the tricks of her trade. They smell around the area for individuals that pass through or for females when mating season is around the corner.
We recommend the following National Parks and Private Reserves for the best chances of spotting the aardwolf on safari game drives and bush walks.
Scent marking or scent communication is frequently used among them as it is among most other carnivores – especially carnivores who lead a largely solitary existence. They have a routine where they wipe or scrape their anal sac secretions on plants, tree stumps, and rocks in their territory – a practice called "pasting." Defecation is also used for scent marking, and their dung weighs an astonishing 8% of their total body weight on average. Still, these are left in specific latrines or toilet areas, usually elliptically shaped and made of sandier soil, where they can bury their excrement as a common house cat would. They also communicate vocally through growls and howls, but most frequently in violent or threatening interactions with other animals.
Whether the species consistently mate with the same partner is unknown, but males and females who have recently reproduced share the same 2-square-kilometer territory where the offspring also reside. Males are known to protect the pups against dangers, and mothers provide them with sustenance in the early years of their lives, which contributes to the idea that this species might be monogamous. South Africa does not have a defined annual mating season, but overall the most frequent time to give birth to their young is in the rainy season when food is plentiful. During breeding times, territory borders are violated, and a foreign male might win over females who live in the same territory as a male if the resident male does not fight. After this process, pups will be born and live with their mothers for nine months before they become entirely independent.
When under threat, aardwolves raise the hair on their back in such a way as to try and chase off or scare their attackers into leaving – similar to the defense postures taken up by hyena species. They rarely go on the offense due to their lack of size and weak bite, with flight their only option if intimidation fails. When running away, they do so with their tails in the air to distract their attackers. Burrows or other forms of shelter are the first stop when under attack.
