Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent, socially complex carnivores whose welfare needs are often misunderstood in zoo settings due to their reputation and unusual biology.
The public perception of hyenas as scavengers or villains masks their remarkable cognitive and social complexity. In captivity, hyenas kept without appropriate social housing and cognitive enrichment show severe welfare deficits. Well-designed zoo environments with complex social groupings, problem-solving feeders, and variable scent enrichment significantly improve behavioral and psychological wellbeing.