Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)

Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)

The striped hyena, unlike the spotted hyena, is primarily a scavenger that feeds mostly on carrion. However, it may also hunt small mammals, consume fruits and insects, and larger subspecies are known to hunt prey the size of wild boar. These animals are nomadic, moving from one water source to another, but rarely traveling more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) away from one.

Striped hyenas hunt individually but may gather in small family groups. Like other mammals living in hot regions, they regulate body heat through their ears, which help cool them down.

Although generally solitary, striped hyenas maintain a certain social organization among individuals inhabiting the same area. They mostly forage alone and are rarely seen in large groups, though they live in small family units within their dens.

This species is considered endangered, and its presence in Lebanon has become rare due to unregulated hunting. The lack of enforcement and updating of wildlife protection laws has disrupted the environmental balance, highlighting the urgent need for stronger conservation measures.

Striped hyenas rarely attack humans unless threatened, cornered, or if their young are endangered. No recorded incidents of hyenas attacking humans have occurred in Lebanon.

They are still occasionally sighted in several Lebanese areas, especially near the borders with Palestine. Recently, two individuals were reportedly killed in the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts without any governmental response to classify the incidents or enforce wildlife protection laws.