Who will win alpha wolf vs hyena?

Answer 1

Good question. Despite what some people here seem to think, both are skilled pack hunters. Hyenas are not mere scavengers - they are powerful predators capable of taking down large and dangerous prey like wildebeest and even buffalo in the case of the spotted hyena. They are certainly not cowardly. Grey wolves also take on large and dangerous prey, such as moose, and like hyenas, they do so in groups. A lone wolf would be suicidal to attack a moose - it can weigh ten times what a single wolf does.

There are three species of wolf and three species of hyena, which means the outcome of a fight would depend largely on which species you are referring to. The grey wolf can weigh up to 175 pounds, the red wolf up to 90, and the Ethiopian wolf up to 40. The spotted hyena usually weighs around 155 pounds, though there are reports of large females weighing up to 200. Striped hyenas weigh up to 88 pounds, and brown hyenas 105 pounds.

I would put money on any species of hyena to defeat a red wolf or Ethiopian wolf - all three hyena species have bone-crushing jaws that could snap the wolf's neck in a single bite, and though the red wolf approaches the striped and brown hyena in weight, it is less muscular and most likely not as strong. A grey wolf would most likely win against a striped or brown hyena, since it is generally larger and therefore probably stronger. It is also quicker and more agile, meaning it could avoid the hyena's bone-crunching bite. A fight between a grey wolf and a spotted hyena could go either way, depending on the individuals involved. Since both reach similar weights they are probably around the same strength, and each has its advantages - the wolf has speed and agility, the hyena has its powerful jaws. It would depend on the age, size, sex, health, experience and so on of the particular wolf and hyena involved.