Study
The Spotted Hyena: A Study of Predation and Social Behavior
Kruuk, Hans
University of Chicago Press, 1972
Years of direct observation of spotted hyena clans, including systematic night-time follows, recording where each carcass came from: hunted by the observed animals, scavenged, or taken from another species.
- Studied in
- Crocuta crocuta, Panthera leo
- Sample size
- multi-year direct observation of hyena clans, including at night
Spotted hyenas hunted the majority of what they ate, and lions frequently appropriated hyena kills. The direction of theft ran predominantly from lion to hyena rather than the reverse.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
The spotted hyena is a capable predator whose reputation as a scavenger arose from daytime observation of an animal that hunts mostly at night.
How NatureHQ reads it
The observational reason the popular picture went wrong is the interesting part. Hyenas hunt at night and are seen at carcasses by day; lions are visible whenever anybody looks. An observer working in daylight would record exactly what the reputation says, and the correction required somebody to follow the animals in the dark.
- One region and one hyena species; the proportion hunted varies with prey availability and between populations.
- A 1972 monograph, though its central finding has been repeatedly confirmed.
Following hyenas in the dark
Hyenas were known as scavengers and lions as hunters. Where does each animal’s food actually come from?
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Academic book publishersPublished as an academic monograph.
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.