The 2016 Natura special edition set is made up of a R100 1oz gold coin (one of four sizes issued in 2016) and three sterling-silver models of animal skulls: a leopard, a spotted hyena and a black-backed jackal; the coin has an obverse privy mark, available only on coins in this set.
A new theme in the Natura coin series, Nocturnal hunters, was introduced in 2014. The first predator to feature on the coins was the leopard, followed by the black-backed jackal in 2015. The year 2016 sees the final addition to this theme: the spotted (or laughing) hyena (Crocuta crocuta).
The hyena has an extensive vocal range: whoops, fast whoops, grunts, groans, lows, giggles, yells, growls, soft grunt-laughs, whines and soft squeals. Its loud "who-oop" call and its unusual laughter are one of the most recognisable sounds of the African bush at night. The pitch of the laugh indicates the hyena’s age, while variations in the frequency of notes convey information about its social rank. |
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