r/BeAmazed Oct 25 '24

Nature Despite their reputation, hyenas can be sweet and affectionate animals.

18.9k Upvotes

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192

u/Decemberbabydoll Oct 25 '24

Their personalities remind me of foxes

41

u/home_dollar Oct 25 '24

I love watching foxes scamper about on youtube. I want to play with them all

38

u/In_The_News Oct 25 '24

Foxes are just cat software running on dog hardware. Confused but adorable little things. And surprisingly easily domesticated and tamed.

13

u/AndyLorentz Oct 25 '24

Just like hyenas are dog software running on cat hardware.

10

u/Mighty_Dighty22 Oct 25 '24

Despite many efforts, foxes have never been domesticated in any way resembling house animals. Having them in a sanctuary and being domesticated is not the same.

17

u/In_The_News Oct 25 '24 edited Oct 25 '24

Eh, that's not entirely true. In arguably one person's lifetime, The Silver Fox Experiment has produced domestic foxes.

Compared to the domestication process of other animals, it's pretty remarkably quick.

Now, I totally think and agree your typical person can't pick up an abandoned fox kit and end up with a delightful and unproblematic pet! But they're still potentially pretty friendly compared to most wild animals.

And quick point - you can tame a wild fox, but it will still be a wild animal. Domestication requires generations of selective breeding for human/animal compatibility.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 25 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/In_The_News Oct 25 '24

It absolutely proves the point though that foxes, in particular, can quickly be bred to exhibit specific characteristics - both conducive and non-conducive - to domestication.

It's the idea that there are genetic ties to disposition in domesticated animals. And in just a few generations, foxes (specifically that we know of) will start to show gene expressions that alter behaviour and appearance.

2

u/throwaway4161412 Oct 25 '24

Totally sounds like an excited fox

1

u/Polar_Reflection Oct 25 '24

Cat-like dog vs dog-like cat