Brown Hyaena
Brown HyaenaBrown HyaenaBrown HyaenaBrown Hyaena

Brown Hyaena

Hyaena brunnea

20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
25 Verified records at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

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 →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Hyaena sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 25 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Spotted Hyena
LC

Spotted Hyena

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Crocuta crocuta

20–30% · Possible
Lion
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely
Yellow Mongoose
LC Endemic

Yellow Mongoose

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cynictis penicillata

40–50% · Likely
Cheetah
VU

Cheetah

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Acinonyx jubatus

40–50% · Likely
Slender-tailed Meerkat
LC

Slender-tailed Meerkat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Suricata suricatta

30–40% · Possible
Bat-eared Fox
LC

Bat-eared Fox

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Otocyon megalotis

20–30% · Possible
Leopard
VU Endemic

Leopard

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera pardus

20–30% · Possible
African Wildcat
LC

African Wildcat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Felis lybica

20–30% · Possible
Honey Badger
LC

Honey Badger

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Mellivora capensis

20–30% · Possible
Cape Fox
LC Endemic

Cape Fox

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Vulpes chama

20–30% · Possible
Slender Mongoose

Slender Mongoose

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Galerella sanguinea

20–30% · With luck
Caracal
LC

Caracal

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Caracal caracal

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
10–20
Feb
20–30
Mar
10–20
Apr
20–30
May
<5
Jun
20–30
Jul
<5
Aug
20–30
Sep
20–30
Oct
5–10
Nov
10–20
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
30–40%
2 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
3 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
20–30%
4 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
10–20%
5 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
6 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
8 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
9 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Hyaena in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Hyaena sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 25 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Brown Hyaena in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Brown Hyaena in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in our monthly data.

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