Non-parallel gaits in hyena and wildebeest
Photographs:
Wildebeest trotting
Spotted hyena’s gait
Both the spotted hyena and its prey species the white-bearded wildebeests find it awkward to trot because of their sloping backs with the forelimbs longer than the hindlimbs. However, they use this gait differently for display: trotting is hardly noticeable in the spotted hyena, whereas wildebeests occasionally show off the trot in order to deflect targeting by predators (particularly the spotted hyena) on to the least-fit members of the herd.
Robin and the Honey Badger, 22 March 2016