{"id":3118,"date":"2025-07-10T16:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T23:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?p=3118"},"modified":"2025-07-11T20:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T03:45:13","slug":"meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Hyena: Nature\u2019s Most Misunderstood Predator"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-42d08fa81e1dc290ded7282e025a0e7d\">When you picture a hyena, chances are you imagine a cackling scavenger lurking in the shadows of Africa\u2019s savanna. Thanks to pop culture portrayals, hyenas are often cast as the sneaky villains of the animal kingdom. But these fascinating carnivores are far more complex\u2014and impressive\u2014than most people realize.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What <em>Is<\/em> a Hyena, Anyway?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite their dog-like appearance, hyenas are actually more closely related to cats and mongooses. They belong to their own distinct family, <em>Hyaenidae<\/em>, which includes four species:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"766\">Spotted Hyena<\/a><\/strong> (<em>Crocuta crocuta<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Striped Hyena<\/strong> (<em>Hyaena hyaena<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brown Hyena<\/strong> (<em>Parahyaena brunnea<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aardwolf<\/strong> (<em>Proteles cristata<\/em>) \u2014 an insect-eating, termite-loving oddball in the group.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most famous and widely studied is the spotted hyena, found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. These animals are both formidable hunters and effective scavengers, capable of taking down wildebeest or crunching through bones with the strongest bite force of any mammal their size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Matriarchy and Power Plays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyena society flips the script on typical carnivore dynamics. In spotted hyena clans, <strong>females dominate<\/strong>, with even the lowest-ranking female outranking the highest-ranking male. Female hyenas are larger, more aggressive, and lead the hunts. They also have unusually high levels of testosterone-like hormones, contributing to their muscular build and bold behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social hierarchies are strict, and cubs inherit their mother\u2019s rank. Cooperation and competition are constant, making hyena clans a rich subject of behavioral research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">That Laugh Isn\u2019t Funny Business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyenas are famously noisy\u2014especially spotted hyenas. Their iconic &#8220;laugh&#8221; isn\u2019t actually about amusement. These vocalizations serve as communication tools, signaling distress, submission, excitement, or a call for help. Each sound has meaning, and within a clan, individuals can recognize each other by voice alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scavengers? Sure\u2014But Also Super Predators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s true hyenas are scavengers, but they\u2019re also incredibly skilled hunters. In fact, in many ecosystems, hyenas do more hunting than lions. Their powerful jaws allow them to devour nearly every part of a carcass\u2014bones, hooves, and all\u2014making them some of nature\u2019s most efficient recyclers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Aardwolf: The Gentle Cousin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not all hyenas are bone-crushing carnivores. The aardwolf, the smallest member of the family, lives off termites\u2014up to 300,000 in a single night. Unlike its relatives, the aardwolf is shy, solitary, and doesn\u2019t have the signature hyena howl or laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Hyenas Deserve More Respect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyenas are smart, social, and ecologically essential. They help clean up ecosystems, keep herbivore populations in check, and play a crucial role in Africa\u2019s food web. Yet they continue to suffer from bad press and persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conservation efforts are especially important for species like the brown and striped hyenas, which face habitat loss and human conflict in parts of their range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the next time you hear a hyena\u2019s haunting call echo across the savanna, don\u2019t think of cartoon villains. Think of powerful, intelligent animals who live by a complex code\u2014and help keep the wild in balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fun Fact<\/strong>: A spotted hyena can crush a femur in under five minutes and digest it completely thanks to highly acidic stomach juices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More photos below \u2193<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- banner ad -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"7178535257\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || 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data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"hyena-reflection\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-reflection-768x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-reflection-768x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-reflection-768x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=768&#038;ssl=1 768w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"2560\" data-id=\"772\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena-reflection\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-reflection-768x1024.jpeg\" data-width=\"1921\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-reflection-768x1024.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:43.33326%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3120\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/hyena-africa-botswana-animal-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyena-africa-botswana-animal.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1820,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" 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data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyena-africa-botswana-animal-1024x731.jpg\" data-width=\"1820\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyena-africa-botswana-animal-1024x731.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3121\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-624044\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1275,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/gray-hyena-through-grass-624044\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;gray hyena through grass&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-624044\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/gray-hyena-through-grass-624044\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 3 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1004&#038;ssl=1 1004w\" alt=\"gray hyena through grass\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3121\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-624044\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg\" data-width=\"1275\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-624044-1004x1024.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:41.68695%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3122\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1654,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/brown-hyena-cub-33099\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;brown hyena cub&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Pixabay on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/brown-hyena-cub-33099\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 4 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"brown hyena cub\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3122\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg\" data-width=\"1654\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/hyene-puppy-hyene-wildlife-hyaena-1024x805.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"769\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/pexels-photo-674053\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1262\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-photography-of-hyena-674053\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;close up photography of hyena&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-674053\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-photography-of-hyena-674053\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 5 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"close up photography of hyena\" data-height=\"1262\" data-id=\"769\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/pexels-photo-674053\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/pexels-photo-674053-1024x687.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3124\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-1617413\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Lori Glaholm Heron on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/gray-animal-on-focus-photo-1617413\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;gray animal on focus photo&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-1617413\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Lori Glaholm Heron on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/gray-animal-on-focus-photo-1617413\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 6 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"gray animal on focus photo\" data-height=\"1253\" data-id=\"3124\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-1617413\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617413-1024x682.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:58.31305%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3125\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-3634928\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"849,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Janko Ferlic on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/selective-focus-photo-of-hyena-3634928\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;selective focus photo of hyena&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-3634928\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Janko Ferlic on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/selective-focus-photo-of-hyena-3634928\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928-669x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 7 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928-669x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928-669x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=669&#038;ssl=1 669w\" alt=\"selective focus photo of hyena\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3125\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-3634928\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928-669x1024.jpeg\" data-width=\"849\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3634928-669x1024.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:29.87739%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3126\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-1617412\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Lori Glaholm Heron on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/hyena-walking-on-grass-1617412\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;hyena walking on grass&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-1617412\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Lori Glaholm Heron on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/hyena-walking-on-grass-1617412\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 8 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"hyena walking on grass\" data-height=\"1253\" data-id=\"3126\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-1617412\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-1617412-1024x682.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3128\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-3684860\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1301,1300\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Dick Hoskins on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/nursing-hyena-beside-three-little-hyenas-on-the-ground-3684860\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;nursing hyena beside three little hyenas on the ground&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-3684860\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Dick Hoskins on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/nursing-hyena-beside-three-little-hyenas-on-the-ground-3684860\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 9 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"nursing hyena beside three little hyenas on the ground\" data-height=\"1300\" data-id=\"3128\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-3684860\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg\" data-width=\"1301\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-3684860-1024x1024.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:70.12261%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"778\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted-hyena\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/spotted-hyena.webp\" data-orig-size=\"400,285\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"spotted-hyena\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/spotted-hyena.webp\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 10 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/spotted-hyena.webp?strip=info&#038;w=400&#038;ssl=1 400w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"285\" data-id=\"778\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted-hyena\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/spotted-hyena.webp\" data-width=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/spotted-hyena.webp?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.18302%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"773\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena_stephanie-watson-photography\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,678\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Stephanie Watson Photography CC Image 2.0&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D5100&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1357735266&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;300&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;720&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 11 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"678\" data-id=\"773\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena_stephanie-watson-photography\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena_Stephanie-Watson-photography.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:49.81698%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"771\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena-family\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,683\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photographer: Willie van Schalkw&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Copyright:: Willie van Schalkwyk&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"hyena-family\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 12 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"683\" data-id=\"771\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena-family\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena-family.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:71.01518%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3127\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-710810\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1253\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Magda Ehlers on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/brown-short-coated-dog-on-green-grass-field-710810\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;brown short coated dog on green grass field&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-710810\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Magda Ehlers on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/brown-short-coated-dog-on-green-grass-field-710810\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 13 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"brown short coated dog on green grass field\" data-height=\"1253\" data-id=\"3127\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-710810\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-710810-1024x682.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:28.98482%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"774\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena.webp\" data-orig-size=\"600,400\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"hyena\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena.webp\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 14 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena.webp?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"400\" data-id=\"774\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/hyena\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena.webp\" data-width=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/hyena.webp?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"776\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted_hyena-by-yathin-s-krishnappa-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"625,600\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 15 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=625&#038;ssl=1 625w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"600\" data-id=\"776\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted_hyena-by-yathin-s-krishnappa-1\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg\" data-width=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_Hyena-by-Yathin-S-Krishnappa-1.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:37.69050%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"777\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted_hyena_in_madikwe_game_reserve\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2240,2464\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1642572412&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;504&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 16 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=931&#038;ssl=1 931w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"2464\" data-id=\"777\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-spotted-hyena\/spotted_hyena_in_madikwe_game_reserve\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg\" data-width=\"2240\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spotted_hyena_in_Madikwe_Game_Reserve-931x1024.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:62.30950%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3123\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-632416\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1880,1249\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/focus-photo-of-hyena-cub-632416\/\\&quot; rel=\\&quot;nofollow\\&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;focus photo of hyena cub&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pexels-photo-632416\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Photo by Frans van Heerden on &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/focus-photo-of-hyena-cub-632416\/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;Pexels.com&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 17 of 17 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg?strip=info&#038;w=1024&#038;ssl=1 1024w\" alt=\"focus photo of hyena cub\" data-height=\"1249\" data-id=\"3123\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-hyena-natures-most-misunderstood-predator\/pexels-photo-632416\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg\" data-width=\"1880\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-632416-1024x680.jpeg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong>&nbsp;This blog post is for edutainment purposes only and may not be entirely accurate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you picture a hyena, chances are you imagine a cackling scavenger lurking in the shadows of Africa\u2019s savanna. Thanks to pop culture portrayals, hyenas are often cast as the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[44,26,42,111,31],"class_list":["post-3118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-bytes","tag-african-animals","tag-animal-facts","tag-conservation","tag-hyenas","tag-wild-animals"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-31528645.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3118"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3132,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3118\/revisions\/3132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3129"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}