Hyenas are about the size of a large, powerfully-built dog and have sloping backs, broad heads, thick muscular necks and well-developed forequartes. They are incredibly cunning and intelligent animals.

Hyenas are scavengers, but if the need arises they do kill their own prey, and they are extremely resourceful and formidable predators. they are, however, arch opportunists and will never over-exert themselves if their is the least chance of them obtaining carrion left by other predators, or where they find it feasible to rob a lessor predator of a kill.

They hunt both singly, or in packs. They do not run very fast and may not be able to exceed 50km/h, but they have immense stamina and can maintain their pace for long distances. A large pack of hyena can pull down adult wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck and kudu. They also demonstrate an uncanny ability to select vulnerable prey such as sick or disabled animals. They have tremendously powerful jaws and can crush and eat even the thigh bones of buffalo.

Hungry hyenas ofter take incredible risk to snatch meat from a hungry lion. Often they are killed as result of this.

One of the most typical sounds in the African bush, is the long draw-out wail of the hyena. They also have and eerie, maniacal "laugh" which builds into a wild cacophany of sound.

The gestation period is about 110 days. Two or three pups are usually born in a burrow dug by the mother, and remain underground for the first six weeks. Pups fall prey to other predators and even pythons, but man is one of the hyena's greatest enemies.

Sexual maturity is reached at about three years of age, and they can live up to 20 years. There is widespread belief that hyenas can change from one sex to the other, but this is untrue. This fallacy probably arose because it is difficult to distinguish sexual differences.

There are many superstitions about hyenas in the Africa bush. Witch doctors use the tails, whiskers, lips and genitals for certain potions.