Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent social carnivores whose matriarchal clan structure and cognitive complexity create specific and demanding welfare requirements in zoo settings that are often underestimated.
Spotted hyena welfare in zoos is frequently compromised by the species' reputation, which tends to result in simpler enclosures and less sophisticated enrichment than is provided to charismatic felids. Yet the cognitive complexity of hyenas — demonstrated in studies of social problem-solving, innovation, and multi-party relationship tracking — demands welfare provision equivalent to that of other cognitively sophisticated carnivores. Social management must account for the matriarchal structure and the reality that same-sex housing of females and males may require different management strategies given natural emigration patterns. Enrichment should target the hyena's strong motivation for novel problem-solving — rotating puzzles, novel scents, and social novelty within compatible groups produce welfare-positive states. Properly designed exhibits that challenge hyenas cognitively and provide complex social environments challenge the negative public perception of the species while providing genuinely better welfare.