​Night Stalkers|夜行追踪

by Marcus Maurice

As the sun goes down, predators get ready to strike.

When most people think of hyenas, they picture cowardly scavengers that gang up on and steal from other animals that have recently made a kill. Actually, this stereotype is not totally true, especially for spotted hyenas, which kill up to 95 percent of the food they eat. Also, spotted hyenas have been known to ward off bigger animals like leopards and lions from prey they have killed themselves. Even though they will sometimes wander around in the early mornings, hyenas are nocturnal animals, which are the focus of one of the episodes in this month's National Geographic Channel's (NGC) Night Stalkers.

NGC spares no expense with revolutionary technology, such as high-definition remote controlled thermal cameras which allow continuous viewing of a forest waterhole day and night. NGC's cameramen shoot thirsty animals coming to refresh themselves in the water while many predators stealthily stalk them. In Night Stalkers: Hyena, NGC's cameras capture these vicious creatures in their natural element. Innocent animals, such as tapir, deer, peccaries, and monkeys, cautiously approach the waterhole, hoping for refreshment. Out of nowhere, hyenas appear, but the small animals have no chance and end up as dinner for a pack of blood-thirsty killers.

Night Stalkers is unique because the cameras penetrate the darkness and reveal what really goes on at night. While the hyenas are brutal, they also have a playful side that is shown. Learn how hyenas, as well as leopards and crocodiles, interact in the heart of darkness this month with NGC's Night Stalkers.

夜行追踪

当太阳下山后，猎食者准备出击。

　　大部分人想到鬣狗时，会想象一群胆小的食腐动物聚集在一起，从其他动物身边偷走牠们最近猎捕来的食物。事实上，这种刻板印象并非完全属实，尤其是对斑鬣狗而言，因为他们高达百分之九十五的食物都是靠自己猎杀。此外，斑鬣狗为人所知的就是会驱赶豹和狮子这类体型较大的动物，避免牠们接近自己猎杀回来的猎物。虽然斑鬣狗有时会在清晨到处游荡，但牠们属于夜行性动物，也是本月份国家地理频道《夜行追踪》系列节目之一的主角。

　　国家地理频道不惜成本，运用像是高分辨率的热感应遥控摄影机这种创新科技，记录某处森林水坑从早到晚的连续影像。国家地理频道的摄影师拍下口渴的动物在水边解渴，而许多肉食动物却暗地尾随在后的画面。在《夜行追踪：鬣狗》节目中，摄影机捕捉这些处在自然生存环境中的凶猛动物。貘、鹿、野猪和猴子等无辜的动物小心翼翼地接近水坑，希望能够喝口水。这时鬣狗不知从哪里冒出来，但体型小的动物根本没有逃生的机会，最后成为这群嗜血杀手的盘中飧。

　　《夜行追踪》是个特别的节目，因为摄影机穿透黑暗，展现在夜晚中所发生的事。虽然鬣狗生性凶残，但牠们也展露出爱玩的一面。跟着本月份国家地理频道的《夜行追踪》，一起了解鬣狗、豹和鳄鱼在黑暗中与同类及其他动物之间的互动。

斑鬣狗属于猫型亚目，故较接近猫科而多于犬科。斑鬣狗是鬣狗科中现时最大型的成员。斑鬣狗的心脏耐力惊人，可以保持每小时 10 公里的速度。当追捕猎物时，斑鬣狗可以保持每小时 50 公里跑完超过 3 公里。牠们亦是游泳能手，可以控制浮力及闭气在水底行走。

斑鬣狗与狮子之间的斗争大多都是在领土上而非食物。雄狮对斑鬣狗具有极高的攻击性，尤其是落单的斑鬣狗。有雄狮杀死斑鬣狗却没有吃掉牠们。另一方面，斑鬣狗则是幼狮的主要掠食者。攻击成年的狮子时，斑鬣狗一般会追击雌性而避开攻击雄性。（数据源：维基百科）