Chapter Thirteen: Second Brother Isn’t That Bad

Chapter Thirteen: Second Brother Isn’t That Bad

Because humans tend to judge by appearances, this bias extends to how we treat animals as well.

Hyenas, with their unattractive looks, have been unfairly branded with the notorious title of “dish thieves,” as if only these unsightly creatures would stoop to such despicable acts.

Moreover, not only have hyenas been labeled as thieves, but they have also been accused of stealing food from others, as if across the vast African savannah, only hyenas would pilfer meals while all other animals hunt honestly for themselves.

In truth, on the great plains, every predator will, at times, seize food caught by another.

For animals struggling to survive, it is impossible to adhere strictly to a code of conduct where one only hunts for oneself and never takes from another’s success.

Think about it—how could it be otherwise?

Human society’s rules and morals exist because humanity has largely solved the problem of basic sustenance.

As the saying goes, morality is a teaching built upon the foundation of having enough to eat.

If one cannot even secure their daily bread, then talk of morality is pointless.

For animals, life is a constant battle on the edge of death. Their ceaseless activity is simply the struggle to find enough to eat.

If human society ever reached a state where no one could guarantee a full meal, then humanity would resemble the animal world—devoid of the many moral codes we now take for granted.

The cruelty of the animal kingdom stems from their existence below the line of sufficient nourishment. Their entire lives are fights for survival. If they do not compete and steal, they starve.

While human competition might sometimes be described as a “fight to the death,” such language is metaphorical or exaggerated.

In the animal world, competition is literally life or death—bloodied and merciless.

In such a brutal realm, is there room for concepts like justice or morality? Clearly, these ideals do not apply to the animal kingdom.

What governs animal life is strength and speed, along with a myriad of survival skills and cunning. Compassion, sympathy, morality, and justice are foreign notions.

These emotional and ethical constructs are unique to human society. Animals seek only food; they desire nothing beyond that.

Animals maintain just the bare minimum to survive. Their sole pleasure is simply finding something to eat. They do not savor flavors; they need only enough to fill their stomachs.

Animals rarely damage their natural environment; they only take what they need to survive.

In contrast, human lifestyles often embody extreme wastefulness, ruthlessly depleting and destroying nature’s resources.

Viewing the animal world through a human lens is a grave error—an easy judgment from a place of comfort.

Regarding hyenas, we must resist judging by appearance. Though ugly, they are among the savannah’s most successful predators. Every action they take to secure prey is entirely natural.

All behaviors attributed to hyenas are also practiced by other predators. The criticisms leveled at hyenas actually highlight their exceptional survival skills.

In fact, the true “dish thief” of the savannah is not the hyena but its cousin—the African wild dog.

The African wild dog is the real master of theft. Hyenas themselves learned many of their cunning tactics from these wild dogs.

The wild dogs resort to such ruthless and underhanded methods because their smaller size and lesser strength make them more dependent on extreme cruelty to kill prey.

Wild dogs are not only the true “dish thieves” but also genuine bandits, often snatching food right from hyenas.

They will steal from hyenas and, if they encounter a lone hyena, immediately surround and attack it—sometimes killing it for food.

So if one must assign the label of “despicable thief” among African predators, it should be the wild dog, not the hyena.

Yet now, Chu Ye’s gaze falls upon hyenas, not wild dogs.

From his vantage point atop his own tree, Chu Ye sees a dozen or so hyenas prowling the northern edge of his territory, seemingly scouting or plotting.

“Damn these ugly thieves—what are they up to now?”

Like most people, Chu Ye harbors no fondness for hyenas.

Given Chu Ye’s current identity as a lion, the history between lions and hyenas is one of endless grudges and conflicts.

The very fact that hyenas are called “Africa’s Second Brother” implies a story behind their relationship with lions, the “First Brother.” Without such a story, the hyenas would not have earned this title.

Watching the pack of hyenas to the north, Chu Ye feels a foreboding. These notoriously troublesome creatures always delight in opposing lions.

Though humans have dubbed hyenas “Africa’s Second Brother” and lions “King of the Savannah,” these are merely human notions based on preference and perception.

People think lions are “big brother” because of their larger size, and hyenas “second brother” because they are smaller.

Such reasoning is deeply flawed. Animals of the savannah are different from those in the forest.

Forest animals largely live solitary lives; in such cases, an individual’s size determines its dominance.

Take the tiger: undisputed king of the forest, because no other carnivore can match it.

But on the savannah, it’s a world of social animals living in groups.

Group living among animals resembles human society in many ways.

The strength of an animal group depends on their total numbers, not the power of a single member.

Though hyenas are smaller than lions, they are highly social creatures—no lone hyena can survive the savannah.

Hyenas hold their own against lions only because their numbers give them a decisive advantage. A single hyena could never defeat a lion one-on-one.

Nevertheless, the enmity between lions and hyenas runs deep.

Lions tolerate many other species within their territory, but absolutely refuse to allow hyenas to roam freely.

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