Hyena Coloring Pages

A Strong and Smart Hunter of the Savanna! Hyena

Hyena is an animal that lives in the African savanna and grasslands. They look like dogs, but they actually belong to a group called "Hyenidae," which is closer to cats. People often think they are sneaky, but they are actually super smart animals that are great at hunting by themselves and care a lot about their family and friends.

Features and Secrets of Hyena

Hyena has strong power and many cool secrets to survive in the wild tough nature.

• Strong Jaws: Their bite is super strong! They can crunch and digest hard bones that other meat-eating animals leave behind.
• Packs Where Females Are Strongest: In a pack of spotted Hyena, females are bigger and stronger than males. A female is also the leader of the pack.
• Laughing Calls: When they get excited or talk to their friends, they make a mysterious call that sounds like human laughter: "Hee-hee-hee!"
• Great Stamina: Their front legs are longer than their back legs, making their back slope down. They have great stamina to keep running long distances to chase their prey.

Zoos Where You Can Meet Hyena

You can meet Hyena (Spotted Hyena and Striped Hyena) at many zoos in Japan too. Here are some of those zoos. Information can change, so always check with the zoo beforehand, and then go find your favorite Hyena!

• Utsunomiya Zoo (Tochigi Prefecture)
• Chiba City Zoological Park (Chiba Prefecture)
• Fuji Safari Park (Shizuoka Prefecture)
• Akiyoshidai Safari Land (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
• Tokushima Zoo (Tokushima Prefecture)
• Kochi Prefectural Noichi Zoological Park (Kochi Prefecture)

Try Color-ing the Body Colors and Patterns!

When you color the Hyena coloring page, take a close look at its patterns and colors.

• Coat Color: Spotted Hyena bodies are mostly yellowish-brown or light gray. Making the belly a little lighter will make it look like a real one!
• Spots and Stripes: Make sure to color the patterns carefully—dark brown or black round spots for Spotted Hyenas, and black stripes for Striped Hyenas.
• Paws and Mane: If you color the tips of the paws and the fur along the neck and back (the mane) with a darker brown or black, the body will look sleek and cool!

Show Off Its Cool Body Shape!

Try coloring with Hyena's unique pose and strong body in mind.

• Add Shadows to Make It Look 3D: They have a unique body where the front legs are high and the back legs are low. Adding darker shadow colors along the back line and under the belly will make the body look strong and muscular!
• Powerful Eyes: Color the eyes yellow or brown, and leave a tiny bit of white in the middle. This gives it a sharp gaze, just like it is watching its prey!

Get Creative with the Background

Imagine the wild nature of Africa where Hyena lives as you draw! Adding dry grass in yellow or light green, or adding acacia trees, will instantly bring out the savanna feel. If you make the background an orange sunset sky, Hyena's black silhouette will stand out and look super cool!

Not Sneaky at All, But a Hunting Master! They Catch Their Own Prey

Because of movies and shows, you might think Hyena steals food from lions, but that is totally wrong! Spotted Hyenas are great hunters that catch more than 80% of their food all by themselves. Sometimes, lions are actually the ones that steal the food that Hyena caught!

Crunching Whole Bones! One of the Strongest Bites in the Animal Kingdom

Hyena has super strong jaws. They can easily crunch up and eat big bones that even the king of beasts, the lion, cannot break! Because they can soak up the good nutrients inside the bones, they also help keep the savanna nice and clean.

Girls Are the Strongest! A World Where Mom Is the Leader

In a pack of Spotted Hyenas, the females are bigger and stronger than the males. This is very rare! The pack leader is always the strongest female. During mealtimes, the rule is that females and kids get to eat first.

They Are Not Laughing!? What the Strange Voice Means

Sometimes, Hyena makes a sound that sounds like a "hee-hee-hee" laugh, but they are not laughing because they are happy! This is an important signal they use when they are excited, annoyed, or letting friends know where they are.