Name: Mkali

Age: Teenager (17, in human years)

Gender: Male

Species: Striped Hyena

Personality: Clever, playful, friendly

Likes: Chasing things, swimming, eating

Dislikes: Loud noises (e.g. storms), being left out of games, overly bright sunlight

Parents: Unknown

Mate: None

Mkali, as a cub, was abandoned by his parents due to a twisted paw. This birth defect naturally straightened out as he aged and is no longer noticeable.

He survived on scraps and bones until he learnt to hunt and fend from himself and now lives a fairly easy lifestyle.

Mkali prefers to explore at night as he dislikes the sunlight when it’s at its brightest, and also feels there is more adventure to be found during the dark.

He enjoys chasing smaller creatures in a game of tag but, being a hyena, the other animals often don’t see it as a game. This is how Mkali meets Jino but the two soon become good friends after realising they are not at all different, even if they look it.

Mkali is soon introduced to the Pridelanders who are, at first, wary of him but soon grow to like him.

Mkali and Jino both meet Kovu for the first time and Jino offers to tell Kovu’s pride a story in exchange for food.

They meet Kovu and Kiara again when the two come to ask them to re-tell of how they met as Kiara was on a hunt the first time.

At the end of the story, Simba informs the pride of the moral of his story being that anyone can be considered a friend, be they lion or another species entirely.

On another occasion, Jino and Mkali helps Simba and Nala solves a dispute between the lions and Banzai the hyena. Banzai is accused of taking food, but Banzai pleads his innocence, instead accusing one of the lions.

Jino and Mkali recall the story of how a vulture named Kuruka tries to warn him that a cheetah plans to raid the Pridelanders food store. Jino doesn’t believe him, but Mkali reminds him that not all animals that are stereotypically bad are so- just like him. Jino realises he’s correct and stops the cheetah in time.

After the story is over, Leo the lion comes forward and admits to taking some extra food for himself and clears Banzai’s name.

Mkali joins Jino on his travels and often accompanies him when he tells stories to the Pridelanders in exchange for food.

Mkali does not speak in full sentences like Jino does, but is understandable and does have a lot of knowledge to share about the world. Despite his playful attitude he is, in fact, very wise and what he learns he doesn’t easily forget.