A highly misunderstood animal, the Spotted hyena has the reputation of being cowardly and sly, but it is actually a fascinating and intelligent creature with a very interesting social system.

It looks like a dog but is a closer relation to cats, civets, and genets. It is also called the laughing hyena.

It is a strong and capable hunter and the largest member of the hyena family. Females and males look exactly the same except that females are a little larger.

Spotted hyenas live throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, and parts of South Africa), though not in the far south or the Congo rainforests.

They occur in savannas, open and dense dry woodland, grasslands, mountains, tropical rainforests, semi-deserts, and coastal areas. In the rocky areas of East Africa and Congo, Spotted hyenas frequently use caves as dens where they raise their young or rest during the midday heat.