Skip to content
  • Camps & Lodges
Enquire
Menu
  • Story by: Jemima Sargent

Spotted Hyena: the misunderstood beauties of the bush

  • November 19, 2018
  • Nature
  • November 19, 2018
  • Nature

Why are spotted hyena always the bad guys? We can blame Disney, and Hemingway, for a start.

Their heavy build, great hulking shoulders, their loping gait, and their large, blunt-nosed faces do not contribute to an overall cuddly look. Plus, there is that whole hermaphrodite rumour. But many of the nightmarish stories associated with hyena are, in fact, myths. They are not purely scavengers – they are powerful hunters in their own right. They do eat carrion from leftover kills, like most predators, but this habit is essential for the support and maintenance of the ecosystem in which they exist. They form tight-knit family groups, forge impenetrable bonds with one another and are extraordinarily tough. Spotted hyena live in clans of varying size, and each clan is ruled over by a dominant matriarch – the clan females (including any young cubs) are superior to the smaller, more submissive males. Yes, the female spotted hyena has a pseudo-scrotum, which can make it rather difficult to sex her at first glance. This is unusual, but not “creepy,” as some articles like to make out.

“Ugly, though” I hear you say? Absolutely not! Hang out at a spotted hyena den and watch cubs playing with one another – “cute” doesn’t even cover it. Plus, these hyena are extremely intelligent and no, Pliny the Elder was wrong, they do not dig up human graves for fun. The spotted is probably the most maligned for its so-called brutish appearance, and yet it has been discovered to have the largest brain compared with the striped and brown hyena. Scientist Kay Holecamp, of Michigan State University, ran a selection of hyena skulls through a CT scanner and was able to discern that the front section of the spotted hyena brain (used for advanced decision making) is particularly large.

And the giggling? Far from being the hallmark of evil plotting and tyranny (as Walt Disney would have you believe), this unique hyena sound is indicative of excitement, expressed during clan greetings, or when a kill has been made. The other sound associated with this animal, that iconic whoop, is truly a signature of the bush, and arguably one of the greatest sounds to hear from inside your cosy tent at night!

Further Reading:

Glickman, Stephen E. 1995. “The Spotted Hyena from Aristotle to the Lion King: Reputation is Everything.” In Social Research, Vol. 62, No. 3, In the Company of Animals (FALL), pp. 501-537. The Johns Hopkins University Press: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40971108

Holecamp, Kay. “Cognition in the Spotted Hyena,” Spotted Hyena Research: http://www.holekamplab.org/cognition.html

Explore more

Read more stories

World Environment Day: Message In a Bottle

  • June 5, 2025
  • Pru Allison

Read Story

International Leopard Day in Khwai Private Reserve

  • May 2, 2025
  • Pru Allison

Read Story

International Hyena Day

  • April 25, 2025
  • Pru Allison

Read Story

No posts found
Back to all our stories
Stay in touch

Susbcribe to our
mailing list

We would love to keep you up to date and inspired with new stories. Sign up to receive our Natural Selection newsletter for giveaways, new engaging stories, videos, special offers and more! 

Get signed up

Reservations

  • reservations@naturalselection.travel
  • Tel: +27 21 001 1574

Marketing

  • marketing@naturalselection.travel
  • Tel: +27 21 001 1574
Full Contact Details

Natural Selection

  • About Natural Selection
  • Our Travel Magazine
  • View Our Rates
  • Watch Our Videos
  • In The Media
  • Explore Our Blog
  • Content Creators
  • Join Our Mailing List

Our Destinations

  • Botswana
  • Namibia
  • South Africa
  • Explore All Destinations

Plan a Safari

  • Explore Camps and Lodges
  • Browse Safari Packages
  • Private Safari Guides
  • Plan Your Safari
  • Special Offers
  • Enquire Now
  • TRADE LOGIN
  • Privacy Policy
  • Booking Terms & Conditions
  • Web Design by Kri8it Digital
  • TRADE LOGIN
  • Privacy Policy
  • Booking Terms & Conditions
  • Web Design by Kri8it Digital
Facebook-f Instagram Youtube

Explore

Botswana
Namibia
South Africa
Angola

Camps and Lodges

  • Tawana
  • North Island Okavango
  • Duke’s Camp
  • Duke’s East
  • Mbamba
  • Tuludi
  • Sable Alley
  • Little Sable
  • Elephant Pan
  • Skybeds
  • Mokolwane
  • Jack's Camp
  • Jack's Private Camp
  • San Camp
  • Camp Kalahari
  • Meno a Kwena
  • Thamo Telele

Camps and Lodges

  • Kwessi Dunes
  • Hoanib Valley Camp
  • Shipwreck Lodge
  • Safarihoek Lodge
  • Etosha Mountain Lodge
  • Safari House
  • Nkasa Linyanti

Camps and Lodges

  • Lekkerwater
  • GweGwe Beach Lodge

Expeditions

  • Angola Expedition

Start Planning

  • All Camps and Lodges
  • Safari Packages
  • Private Safari Guides
  • Plan Your Safari
  • Special Offers
  • View Our Rates
  • Check Availability
  • Enquire Now
  • All Camps and Lodges
  • Safari Packages
  • Private Safari Guides
  • Plan Your Safari
  • Special Offers
  • View Our Rates
  • Check Availability
  • Enquire Now

Natural Selection

  • Who We Are
  • Our Positive Impact
  • Our Blog
  • Our Safari Magazine
  • In The Media
  • Our Videos
  • Contact Details
  • Trade Login
  • Who We Are
  • Our Positive Impact
  • Our Blog
  • Our Safari Magazine
  • In The Media
  • Our Videos
  • Contact Details
  • Trade Login