Issue 1547 - Fortnightly, 2009

• "Lord of the Hyenas" - story by Claus Reimerthi and art by Heiner Bade.

Phantom adventures in which humans run with wild animals are comparatively rare—but always interesting,

And thought provoking!

History is full of far too many similar real-life stories to dismiss Lord of the Hyenas too lightly!

Writer Claes Reimerthi and artist Heiner Bade have combined well to create this new jungle adventure.

Reimerthi has indulged in a little licence to have Kwesi, a young native boy, born with a hyena’s paw instead of a left hand, but other than this gimmick, sticks to jungle fact.

Hyenas are indeed cowardly wild animals that do not attack humans or other jungle creatures anywhere near their own size.

They feast on the carcasses of dead animals, look ferocious, but are not considered fighters,  always hunt in packs, run when even mildly frightened and are best described as scavengers.

The hyena is a purely African mammal with long forelimbs and a curious, erect mane.

The name ‘Hyena’ almost certainly comes from the Greek word huaina (female pig) because of the resemblance of the hyena’s mane to a hog’s bristles.

In this new story, the normally nervous hyenas have become far more adventurous and dangerous, because of a curious power held over them by ...