Photo credit: Sean Braine
The Brown Hyaena, Hyaena brunnea, is listed as ‘NEAR THREATENED’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Occurring in arid parts of southern Africa, the Brown Hyaena is distinguished from other hyaenas by its long, shaggy coat and pointed ears.
Unfortunately, the Brown Hyaena has been the victim of strong negative attitudes, wrongly being perceived as a threat to domestic livestock. It is often shot, poisoned, trapped, or hunted with dogs, as well as being inadvertently killed in non-selective predator control programmes. As a result, this much maligned species has suffered a decline in range and abundance.
The Brown Hyaena occurs in several large conservation areas throughout its range, although conflict with humans still occurs outside of these areas. Fortunately, education and awareness campaigns are starting to slowly change attitudes towards the Brown Hyaena, meaning that the future may be brighter for this charismatic but misunderstood species.
Geographic Range of the Brown Hyaena
Credit: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
To learn more about the Brown Hyaena, click here. Or visit the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species by clicking their logo below.
To learn more about the Bush Warriors “Species of the Day” feature, please click here and read up on our initiative to raise awareness about the loss of earth’s biodiversity.
