Brown Hyaena
Hyaena brunnea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyHyaenidae (Hyaenas)
- GenusHyaena (Striped Hyenas)
- SpeciesHyaena brunnea (Brown Hyaena)
The brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also called the strandwolf, is a species of hyena found in Namibia, Botswana, western and southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, western Eswatini, and South Africa. It is the only extant species in the genus Parahyaena. It is currently the rarest species of hyena. The largest remaining brown hyena population is located in the southern Kalahari Desert and coastal areas in Southwest Africa. The global population of brown hyena is estimated by IUCN at a number between 4,000 and 10,000 and its conservation status is marked as near threatened in the IUCN Red List. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Hyaena sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 38 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
Aardwolf
Proteles cristata
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Bat-eared Fox
Otocyon megalotis
Slender-tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Leopard
Panthera pardus
African Wildcat
Felis lybica
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
Slender Mongoose
Galerella sanguinea
Northern Small-spotted Genet
Genetta genetta
📅 Monthly Probability
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 8 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown Hyaena in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 15% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Hyaena sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 38 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown Hyaena in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Brown Hyaena in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.