Rock Hyrax Hunting in Africa

The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) is a mammal inhabiting most of Africa and the Middle East. They are often seen as vermin and are hunted for their pelt, meat, and even for traditional medicines. On a game hunting safari, these are often hunted but are not a sought-after trophy when hunting in Africa.

Dassies, as they are often referred to in South Africa, live in crevices in rocky outcrops, making their homes in deserts, savannas, and shrublands. During your game hunting safari, you might often see dassies sunning themselves on a rocky outcrop during the day. They are quite lazy, spending hours relaxing in the sun, which makes them an easy target when game hunting in Africa.

Rock hyraxes are mostly herbivorous, consuming a range of food, including grass, herbs, stems, and the bark of certain plant species as well as leaves and fruits, but do also eat insects, lizards, and bird eggs. Their diet consists of many water-rich plants and succulents, resulting in them being able to stay without water for long periods.

These mammals live together in groups of up to 50, consisting of a dominant male along with about 20 females and their young. The rock hyrax gestates for between 7-8 months after which 1-4 offspring are born. The young are born fully developed and already start to eat vegetation within days of their birth. They are active and up and about within hours of their birth, which is just as well considering how many predators want to make a meal of them!

They are prey for many larger animals, such as hyenas, lions, leopards, jackals, large birds of prey, servals, and pythons.

Their conservation status is listed as “least concern” by the IUCN.