Introduction The quandary of deforestation emerges as a paramount environmental enigma, its ramifications sprawling beyond the mere vanishing of arboreal realms. It perches precariously at the confluence of economic progression, ecological stewardship, and the equilibrium of our planet’s climate. Grasping the fundamental causes and repercussions of deforestation is imperative for devising efficacious interventions and for enlightening the populace on its…

A gallery of hyaena images, categorised by species. Brown hyaena images Spotted hyaena images Striped hyaena images Aardwolf images For additional images, see Hyaenas in Art & Literature

The members of the Hyaena Specialist Group have concluded that one of the largest obstacles to hyaena conservation is the negative image most people hold about hyaenas. We believe this negative image represents an unfair stereotype of hyaenas, which are in reality fascinating, intelligent and even beautiful creatures. Unfortunately, however, a positive image is not the one at the forefront…

You say “hyena” … and I say “hyaena” People in the United States spell the word “hyena” with only one “a ”  (at the end of the word). However, English-speaking people in most of the rest of the world spell the name of these animals with an “a” after the “y” as well as another “a” at the end. And…

The spotted hyaena is one the most highly gregarious of all carnivores; it lives in groups containing up to 90 individuals, and exhibits the most complex social behaviour. These animals live in social groups called clans that defend group territories. The society is characterised by a strict dominance hierarchy. The rank ordering among the adult females in one Kenyan study…

Werdelin & Solounias (1991) estimate that, at the peak of hyaenid diversity in the late Miocene, at least 24 different hyena species concurrently roamed Eurasia and Africa. Fortunately there is a fairly extensive fossil record of the Hyaenidae, and careful analysis of this record has revealed a great deal about the life-styles of extinct hyaenids, as well as about their…

Hyaenas are misunderstood. Unless we change the way we see these amazing animals, we soon won’t see them at all. Therefore here we debunk some common myths about members of the hyaena family. Myth: Spotted hyaenas are hermaphrodites. Reality: Hermaphrodites are animals that are simultaneously both male and female. Although there are many creatures in the animal kingdom that are true…