BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Franklin Park Zoo announced the debut of its newest members -- two spotted hyenas.
Thika, age 15, and Kai, age 5, are the first of their species at the zoo, which has never exhibited hyenas before.
The hyenas arrived from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the Congo rainforest, Southern Africa and Madagascar. In the wild, hyenas live in clans that are female-dominated and very territorial.
Hyenas are noted for their distinctive vocalizations when communicating, such as cackles, howls, and yells. When hunting alone, the animals will prey on smaller mammals, birds and reptiles. When in a group, hyenas can tackle larger prey of gazelles, wildebeest and zebras.