The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is the least studied of the four hyena species and faces severe persecution across its range from Turkey to India. Often perceived as a threat to livestock and a scavenger of human graves, it is killed through poisoning, trapping, and shooting across much of its range.
Striped hyenas poisoned with organophosphates or anticoagulant rodenticides suffer prolonged and painful deaths from neurotoxic or haemorrhagic effects. Non-target species including raptors and domestic dogs are regularly killed by poison intended for hyenas. The persecution is largely fear-based rather than evidence-based — despite cultural associations with death and witchcraft in some communities, striped hyenas provide significant ecosystem services through bone consumption that reduces disease transmission. Education programs changing cultural attitudes toward hyenas are the most welfare-effective intervention available.