Spotted hyenas live in complex matriarchal clans with sophisticated social hierarchies, and their welfare in the wild depends on clan cohesion, territory security, and food availability in increasingly fragmented landscapes.
Spotted hyena welfare is closely tied to clan stability. Persecution that removes dominant females disrupts social hierarchy, causing rank instability and increased aggression within the clan. Loss of territory to human expansion reduces hunting range and increases competition for food. Cubs in disrupted clans face higher mortality from intra-clan aggression and reduced protection. Snaring and poisoning cause painful deaths. Conservation strategies that reduce livestock depredation through predator-proof enclosures and compensation schemes offer welfare-friendly alternatives to lethal control. Recognising hyenas as intelligent, socially complex animals challenges harmful cultural stereotypes that drive their persecution.