Spotted hyenas are among the most socially complex carnivores, with female-dominated matriarchal clan structures that captive environments rarely replicate.
Spotted hyena welfare in captivity suffers from the impossibility of replicating their complex social clan structures. Small captive groups cannot provide the social complexity that defines hyena behavioral ecology. Their high intelligence amplifies the welfare cost of barren, socially impoverished environments. Zoos maintaining hyenas should prioritize large multi-animal groups with complex territories.