5 Fascinating Facts About the Spotted Hyena "Cowardly," "ugly," "thieving"... It appears that no one…

The Ugly Five Animals: Only a Mum Could Love
The Ugly Five Animals: Only a Mum Could Love.
In addition to the Big Five, Africa is home to a wide variety of other amazing creatures, including birds, insects, and animals. Some people are well-known for their attractiveness, while others are notorious for their lack of beauty.
The vulture, buffalo, warthog, hyena, and marabou stork are the Ugly Five.
They’re not supermodels, then. We still adore them, and we believe you will too.
The Marabou Stork
The marabou stork, sometimes known as “The Undertaker Bird” because of its black “cloak,” white underparts, and scavenging nature, is notorious for being not only noticeably ugly but also ill-tempered.
With a hairless head and neck, a large bill, and a pink sac that joins to the left nostril, it truly has a face that only a mother could adore. Especially during mating season, this inflatable device is utilized.
The adult bird may grow up to 1.5 meters tall and has a wingspan of almost 2.5 meters, so they are definitely not little.
Fascinating fact: Despite their size, Maribou storks can fly more readily because their leg and toe bones are hollow.
A hyena
With their frowns and sloping backs, hyenas—made famous as the antagonists in The Lion King—laugh at vanity.
They also have a negative reputation in old legend, where they are frequently connected to witchcraft, cunning, and betrayal. In one story from Tanzania, people even change into hyenas, or “werehyenas,” which are Africa’s own werewolf.
Hyenas hunt for a large portion of their food, despite the common misconception that they are merely scavengers. They are excellent hunters because they are nocturnal, with ferociously powerful jaws, and exceptionally good night vision and hearing.
Fascinating fact: Compared to dogs, hyenas are more closely linked to cats genetically.
The Warthog
Even though they appear to be in need of a decent barber and an orthodontic consultation, wild pigs may be rather endearing in their ugly ways. Nothing is cuter than a mother warthog with her young, all trotting with their distinctive tail in the air.
The sleeker, hairier, and toothier version of domestic pigs are warthogs. They have two sets of tusks, a larger upper set and a smaller lower set, and an elongated face. Because warthogs are omnivores, these are utilized for both hunting and combat.
Fascinating fact: Warthogs sleep in burrows, which are frequently dug by aardvarks, and they can reverse into them at any time to burst out frontward.
The vulture
With its long neck, bald head, and feathers that resemble coats, this bird resembles the avian equivalent of an undertaker. However, because they scavenge and eliminate potentially dangerous infections carried in carrion, they are essential to the ecosystem’s proper functioning.
They need all the assistance they can get because there are many distinct types of vultures, several of which are in grave danger of extinction. Take a look at this fantastic social media campaign that Birdlife has started to raise awareness for vulture protection:
Interesting fact: vultures’ stomach acid is so caustic that it destroys bugs like botulinum toxin that would otherwise make other scavengers unwell.
Buffalo
It is not appropriate to treat these enormous bovines lightly. It’s advisable that you avoid talking to them about their lack of beauty because it’s estimated that they kill 200 people annually. Two of the “fives”—the Big Five and the Ugly Five—include the Cape Buffalo.
The buffalo is primarily distinguished by its thick horns, which like an interstellar Alice band and curve outward and then inward from the center of their heads. An adult male’s total horn length can be up to one meter. Another excellent excuse to keep out of the way!