"Hyenas are intelligent animals that are full of surprises and this film shares these surprises so that you'll understand these powerful animals better"

This documentary is part of a series that takes the viewer inside the family life of wild animal species to observe the relationships, habits, duties, and benefits of each family member.

In this film, a Spotted Hyena family goes about its tasks of securing food, shelter, and offspring. The alpha member of the pack is the female, who leads the way in hunting, mating, and migrating.

Outstanding wildlife photography shows the highly socialised Hyena community at work, rest, and play. The viewer is put right into the natural habitat of these fearless hunters, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.


Hyenas have relatively short torsos and are fairly massive and wolf-like in build, but have lower hind quarters, high withers and their backs slope noticeably downward toward their croups. The forelegs are high, while the hind legs are very short and their necks are thick and short. Their skulls superficially resemble those of large canids, but are much larger and heavier, with shorter facial portions. Hyenas are digitigrade, with the fore and hind paws having four digits each and sporting bulging pawpads. Like canids, hyenas have short, blunt, non-retractable claws. Their pelage is sparse and coarse with poorly developed or absent underfur. Most species have a rich mane of long hair running from the withers or from the head. With the exception of the spotted hyena, hyaenids have striped coats, which they likely inherited from their viverrid ancestors