Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent social carnivores with complex matriarchal group dynamics. Their welfare in zoos requires sophisticated social management and enrichment for these cognitively demanding animals.
Spotted hyena welfare in zoos requires understanding and accommodating their unusual matriarchal social structure. Female dominance in hyena clans is absolute — zoo groups must be designed with this in mind, as forced proximity between non-compatible individuals causes significant social stress. Their intelligence demands high cognitive enrichment: puzzle feeders involving bone-crushing challenges, cooperative feeding opportunities, and varied environmental complexity. The unique social signaling system of hyenas — including the famous giggle that indicates social submission rather than amusement — provides welfare indicators that trained keepers can read. Hyenas can develop genuinely positive relationships with familiar keepers, making training an important welfare tool.