Photo by beverlyjoubert / In so many intricate, often subtle, and sometimes unexpected ways, the species we share the planet with are shaping and enhancing ecosystems all around us. Take the spotted hyena. With its penchant for crunching bones—and jaws powerful enough to match up to the task— these amazing carnivores play a role in recycling nutrients into the soil. By pulverizing bones, they unlock nutrients like calcium and phosphorous, which then find their way back into the landscape in hyena feces. Tiny splinters of bone from the hyena table, meanwhile, become a convenient source of these nutrients for smaller creatures like birds. In nature, everything is connected. #hyenas #spottedhyena #wildlife #nature