Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent social animals whose welfare in zoological settings is undermined by negative public perceptions, insufficient cognitive enrichment, and misunderstood social needs.
Spotted hyena welfare in captivity suffers from a reputation problem: because hyenas are culturally perceived as villainous scavengers, they receive less public sympathy and often less welfare investment than more charismatic carnivores. Yet their cognitive complexity demands a richness of environmental challenge that many zoo hyena exhibits fail to provide. Problem-solving enrichment that matches hyena intelligence — complex puzzles, novel foraging challenges, social cooperation tasks — is underutilized. Social bond management is critical: hyenas in well-established, stable clans show relaxed, exploratory behavior, while hyenas in unstable or non-preferred social groupings show chronic stress. Zoo staff training on hyena-specific social behavior, including the significance of greeting rituals and rank signals, is essential for appropriate management. Changing public narratives about hyena intelligence and ecological importance is itself a welfare intervention, increasing the advocacy pressure for improved hyena care.