Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent social carnivores whose complex clan dynamics and behavioral needs make them particularly challenging to house well in zoo settings.
Spotted hyena welfare in captivity is compromised by the difficulty of replicating their complex matriarchal clan structure in zoo settings. Small captive groups with incompatible compositions experience chronic aggression and stress. Cognitive enrichment is essential for such intelligent animals - hyenas have been documented using tools and solving multi-step problems. Female reproductive welfare is a specific concern as the unique anatomy causing difficult first parturitions leads to high mortality rates in first-born cubs both in wild and captive populations. Zoo programs focused on social group compatibility and cognitive enrichment show markedly better welfare outcomes.