Spotted hyenas are among the most cognitively sophisticated carnivores, yet negative cultural perceptions affect how their welfare needs are understood and met in zoo settings.
Spotted hyena welfare in zoo settings suffers from a cultural stigma problem: negative perceptions of hyenas as cowardly, dirty, or unpleasant animals have historically affected the resources and care devoted to them. Yet spotted hyenas are cognitively sophisticated social animals whose welfare needs are comparable to other highly social carnivores. Their matriarchal social structure requires appropriate group management that respects female dominance hierarchies. Cognitive enrichment is important for animals capable of complex cooperative problem-solving. The disparity between hyena intelligence and the cultural disregard for their welfare represents a bias that animal welfare science can help correct by providing objective welfare assessments based on behavior and physiology rather than aesthetic preferences.