Understanding Hyena Clans

Few animals are as maligned and as misunderstood as the hyena. Cast as cowardly scavengers in cartoons, spotted hyenas are in fact formidable, intelligent predators living in some of the most complex societies on the savanna. To watch a clan at dusk is to see cooperation, hierarchy and communication that rival those of primates. Across Africa there are three very different hyenas — the spotted, the brown and the striped — plus the aardwolf, a tiny termite-eating relative. Each has its own habits, and telling them apart, and understanding their behaviour, adds a rich thread to any safari. This guide explains hyena clan structure, why females rule, how much they really hunt, what their eerie calls mean, and how to find and watch them responsibly in the parks where they thrive.

Key things to know

• ➜ Spotted hyenas live in large matriarchal clans led by dominant females
• ➜ They are skilled hunters, not merely scavengers as myth suggests
• ➜ Clans defend a territory and gather at communal dens
• ➜ Their whoops, giggles and calls carry information over long distances
• ➜ Brown and striped hyenas are shyer, more solitary scavengers
• ➜ Hyenas and lions are direct competitors and frequent rivals
• ➜ Females are larger and socially dominant over all males
• ➜ They are best seen at dawn, dusk and around dens and kills

Three hyenas and an oddball cousin

The spotted hyena is the one most visitors picture: large, powerful, and found across much of sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and open country. The brown hyena, with its shaggy dark coat and pale mane, haunts the arid regions of southern Africa and the Skeleton Coast, where it scavenges seal colonies. The striped hyena, smaller and more nervous, ranges from North and East Africa into Asia.

Then there is the aardwolf, a slender, striped relative that eats almost nothing but termites, lapping up tens of thousands a night with a sticky tongue. Spotting the difference between these animals is a satisfying skill, and each rewards the traveller who learns to look beyond the spotted hyena's fearsome reputation.

• ➜ Spotted hyena: large, social, widespread, powerful hunter
• ➜ Brown hyena: shaggy, arid southern Africa, mainly scavenger
• ➜ Striped hyena: smaller, shy, North and East Africa into Asia
• ➜ Aardwolf: slender termite specialist, not a true predator

A society ruled by females

Spotted hyena clans are matriarchies, and this sets them apart from almost every other large carnivore. A dominant female and her daughters sit at the top of a strict hierarchy, and even the highest-ranking male ranks below the lowest-ranking female. Rank is inherited, so a cub's status largely mirrors its mother's.

This social structure shapes everything: who eats first at a kill, who leads the clan, and how cubs are raised. Females are larger than males and remain in their birth clan for life, while males disperse to seek their fortunes elsewhere, entering a new clan at the bottom of the ladder.

Hunters, not just scavengers

The lazy scavenger image is largely a myth. Spotted hyenas hunt a large proportion of their own food, running down wildebeest, zebra and antelope in stamina-based chases that can cover several kilometres. In many ecosystems they are among the most successful large predators of all.

The relationship with lions is telling. Where hyenas gather in numbers, they can drive lions off a carcass, and lions in turn will kill hyenas given the chance. Watching a tense stand-off between a hyena clan and a lion pride over a kill is one of the great dramas of the African night.

• ➜ Spotted hyenas actively hunt much of their prey
• ➜ Endurance chases can run for several kilometres
• ➜ Powerful jaws crush bone that other predators cannot
• ➜ Clans and lion prides compete fiercely over carcasses
• ➜ Scavenging is opportunistic, not their only strategy

Dens, cubs and clan life

At the heart of clan life is the communal den, often an old aardvark burrow enlarged over generations. Cubs are born dark and are raised here, nursing for an unusually long time because mothers may travel far to hunt. The den is a social hub where clan members greet, cubs play, and the next generation learns the ropes.

Hyena greetings are elaborate and important, reinforcing the bonds and rank that hold a clan together. A patient watcher at a den in the soft light of early morning will see some of the most engaging social behaviour on the savanna.

The language of whoops and giggles

Hyenas are among the most vocal of African carnivores, and their sounds carry meaning. The rising, far-carrying whoop is a contact call that can summon clan-mates across kilometres, while the notorious 'laugh' is not humour at all but a sign of excitement or submission, often heard when hyenas are jostling over food.

Learning to read these calls transforms a night drive. The whoops drifting across the dark are a clan keeping in touch; a sudden burst of giggling usually means a kill or a squabble, and following the sound with your guide can lead to remarkable sightings.

• ➜ The whoop is a long-distance contact call
• ➜ The 'laugh' signals excitement or submission, not humour
• ➜ Low groans and grunts pass between clan members at close range
• ➜ Calls help coordinate hunting and defend territory

Where and how to watch hyenas

Spotted hyenas are common in the great East African parks such as the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Masai Mara, and throughout southern Africa's savannas. They are most active in the cool hours around dawn and dusk and on night drives, and dens and kills are reliable places to find them.

Watch quietly and give dens a respectful distance so as not to disturb cubs or cause the clan to move. Resist the temptation to see hyenas as villains; observed with an open mind, they are among the most rewarding and intelligent animals you will meet.

• ➜ Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Mara are excellent for spotted hyenas
• ➜ Dawn, dusk and night drives are the best times
• ➜ Keep well back from active dens with cubs
• ➜ Watch clan-lion interactions at carcasses from a distance

References & further reading

1. Sinclair, A. R. E., et al. (Eds.) (2015). Serengeti IV. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
2. Estes, R. D. (2012). The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. Berkeley: University of California Press.
3. Kingdon, J. (2015). The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals (2nd ed.). London: Bloomsbury.
4. IUCN (2024). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2024-1. www.iucnredlist.org.