There aren’t many mammals with a reputation worse than the hyena. Whilst dangerous predators like lions, wolves and bears are perceived as charismatic, hyenas are historically misrepresented and vilified. Conservation efforts have been restricted by their poor public image. However, in the last decade social media has provided new insight into the lives and characters of these poorly understood animals. Positive media portrayal is vital to create sympathy and support for these increasingly threatened carnivores.

Most people are ignorant of the fact there are four species in the hyena family. Conservation of the lesser known species (the brown and striped hyenas and closely related aardwolf) is hindered by the reputation of spotted hyena. Brown and striped hyenas are classified as near threatened. Both are susceptible to poisoning and are hunted for medicinal trade. Although spotted hyenas are the widest spread land carnivore in Africa they remain reliant on conservation efforts. Human population growth is reducing their range and numbers. They struggle to recover from cleared areas and are still indiscriminately killed because of their stigmatised reputation.

No Laughing Matter: Historical Demonisation of Hyenas

The modern perception of hyenas was not conceived with The Lion King. Hyenas have been historically demonised with their reputation reflecting society’s anxieties. Their unique genital anatomy threatened our understanding of gender and is the basis of their reputation as demonic and unnatural.

These anxiety-fuelled misconceptions persist today. Their infamous laugh, which signals excitement or nervousness, is portrayed as a sign of mania. They are disparaged as scroungers who eat rotting corpses and rely on the work of more noble hunters. Their appetite for dead meat is said to violate funeral rites and so demonises them as backward and deranged. Spotted hyenas are particularly adept scavengers due to their robust immune systems and bone-crushing jaws. This does not mean they are lazy scroungers. In fact, they are just as accomplished hunters as lions.

The effects of these misconceptions can be observed amongst conservation biologists, who have blamed spotted hyenas for declines in rhino and Lelwel hartebeest populations despite a lack of supporting evidence. In contrast, scientists that study spotted hyenas have a very positive view of them. Stephen Glickman, an American scientist who studied a colony of hyenas that was previously situated in the University of California, highlighted three criteria which explain the disconnect in attitudes: Knowledge, familiarity and bonding.

This criteria can explain why there are differences in perception of hyenas in different societies. Some African societies know hyenas as powerful and potentially dangerous, partially due to overlapping territory. They are familiar with hyena attacks on rough sleepers and livestock. Despite the danger, some individuals have developed bonds with urban hyenas.

Western societies, however, are uninformed and disconnected from the reality of hyenas. Carnivores like lions, tigers and polars bears have captured the public’s imagination, enabling them to be romanticised and monetised as icons of conservation. In fact, appealing animals have been shown to drive higher levels of fundraising interest. Hyena’s bad reputation means they are not romanticised or monetised. They are either misrepresented or neglected in education, absent from books, television and zoos. When analysed in 1995, only 11/164 North American zoos contained spotted hyenas. Hyena’s poor reputation has contributed to the public’s disinterest. Ignorance about hyenas means that it is even harder for their reputation to shift.

It is hard to quantify why some species receive more support, but a few studies have looked into how media representation influences perception of carnivores and conservation efforts. Articles that highlight the risk of carnivores will trigger negative reactions, instead of the sympathy needed for raising awareness and protection. Unfortunately, hyenas are generally portrayed in a negative light in media regardless of the actual risk to readers.

Spotting Good in the Bad & Ugly: Tackling Hyena Stigmatisation

This does not mean that hyena conservation is a lost cause. Wider promotion of ‘unappealing’ species can help generate similar levels of funding as charismatic species, potentially increasing interest by up to 26 times. Although charismatic megafauna are prioritised in conservation, small increases in marketing can have big rewards for notoriously unappealing species like the spotted hyena.

Another way of boosting fundraising for hyenas is to tackle misconceptions by changing the way they are visually represented. A recent study looking at the portrayal of animals in science textbooks found that 10-13 year olds were more willing to support protection of a species in a neutral stance compared to an aggressive representation.

Presenting the public with images that depict hyenas in an positive manner is an effective strategy for improving public support for hyena conservation.

These strategies are exemplified by Kevin Richardson, a man that has placed himself at the centre of efforts tackling the misconceptions of hyenas. Richardson is the owner of a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. He has built extensive support across YouTube, Instagram and Twitter, with over 1 million online followers under his @LionWhisperer moniker. Although this following was built off his close interactions with lions, Richardson began to upload images and videos portraying hyenas in a positive light after coming to the realisation that his own perception of hyenas was biased.

Kevin Richardson’s platform attempts to transfer information, familiarity and an indirect sense of bonding to the audience. It would seem that it fulfils all three of Glickman’s criteria. The success of Richardson’s platform in changing perceptions is evident when by scrolling through it’s comments. He is running a highly effective campaign. Despite the shortcomings of private sanctuaries and some of the inaccurate information Richardson imparts, it is clear social media is a powerful tool for conservation.

References:

The Spotted Hyena from Aristotle to the Lion King: Reputation is Everything. Stephen E. Glickman, 1995.

Increased conservation marketing effort has major fundraising benefits for even the least popular species. Veríssimo et al, 2017.

Strategic Plan for Lion and Spotted Hyena Conservation in Kenya. KWS, 2008.

Content Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of the Florida Panther. Jacobson et al, 2011.

Animals in Dangerous Postures Enhance Learning, but Decrease Willingness to Protect Animals. Prokop & Fančovičová, 2017.