Hyenas

**The hyenas** are several **spotted hyenas** or **laughing hyenas** featured in the *Jungle Cruise*.

## Description

Spotted Hyenas (*Crocuta crocuta*) are a species of Hyaenidae which despite resembling dogs are actually feliniforms, meaning that they are technically closer to cats. The spotted hyenas are native to Africa and live in ecosystems such as the African Veldt, grasslands, savannahs, and forest edges. Hyenas are carnivores and scavengers which prey on smaller animals, wounded animals, and left-over carrion which they are exceptional at thanks to having the strongest bite force of any mammal, second only in the animal kingdom to saltwater crocodiles.

Hyenas live in groups known as, "Cackles" which are matriarchal with the largest hyenas being the females who lead the groups and who are on average larger than the males. These cackles get their names from how hyenas emit noises which sound like human laughs, in reality a noise used to indicate rank in the cackle which shows who gets to lead and who gets to eat first. Due to their human-like sounds, scavenging niche, and their females having genitalia resembling male human genitals, they have a history of being vilified as evil monsters by human cultures such as medieval bestiaries.

## History

### Development history

The hyenas were first featured in the Jungle Cruise for an update in 1964. The hyenas appeared in the African veldt, cackling at the lost safari run up a tree by a rhino. In 2021, the lost safari was changed to the lost crew of the Kwango Kate due to the racism of the original trapped safari.

## Appearances

### Adventure Trading Company

During this announcement, there was a section in community postings for the Daily Gnus which read, "Found: Dog, brown spots, sharp teeth, loves to laugh".

### Jungle Cruise

The hyenas appears on the African veldt, "laughing" at the humans run up the tree by the rhino. In the queue of the Walt Disney World Jungle Cruise, they are illustrated on a map of the veldt made by Frank Wolff with a comment from Alberta Falls saying, "Hyenas love our jokes".

### Kilimanjaro Safaris

Spotted hyenas are amongst the animals in the Harambe Wildlife Reserve.

### The Lion King Scavenger Hunt

Art of Shenzi, Banzai and Ed from the Lion King were featured in this attraction's artwork.

### Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

The hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed work for a resurrected Scar in this attraction and try to destroy Adventureland with an elephant stampede, only to be defeated by the apprentices of Merlin and Rafiki.

### Skipper Canteen

In the *Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen* is a wooden carving of a hyena on the African veldt next to a rhino.

### Other connections

#### The Lion King

Vilified depictions of hyenas appear in this film as animals outcast by the lions of the Pride Lands. Due to this and living off of scraps, they side with the villainous Scar until he betrays them and they rip him apart.

## Other appearances

### It's a Small World

Similar laughing hyenas designed by Mary Blair appear in the Africa section of *It's a Small World*.

## Gallery

Walt Disney petting one of the hyenasHyenas in It's a Small WorldHyenas in the Lion KingIn the Magic Kingdom DLC of Minecraft Bedrock EditionOn Frank Wolff's map
## References

1. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=871455071077&set=oa.1903682069948046
2. ↑ https://touringplans.com/blog/s6\_skippercanteen/