Hi, this is Kate from MinuteEarth, and this
is a spotted hyena - my favorite animal. But hyenas are probably not your favorite
animal; even though we humans generally feel pretty warm and fuzzy toward warm and fuzzy
animals, we like hyenas just about as much as we do snakes, tarantulas, skunks, and hornets. Like snakes and spiders, hyenas have long
been vilified...and we’re talking way before Disney. Aristotle talked smack about hyenas thousands
of years ago, medieval scholars dissed them in written and illustrated form, and Hemingway
hated on them in long, spiteful passages. And it’s not just the Western world; people
who actually live among hyenas don’t like them any better. In Tanzania, it’s believed that witches
ride on and control hyenas. And the Beng people of the Ivory Coast tell
a story of how, after a hyena pooped in a local village, everyone fled - its stark-white
poop was an omen of death. So, why can’t hyenas even poop without getting,
well, smeared? It’s partly a vicious cycle, since one negative
depiction begets another, but all this hate has to be based on something. And sure, hyenas can hurt us, but so can tigers,
elephants, and lots of other critters we adore, so that alone doesn’t explain it. Maybe it’s their looks; I mean, I think
hyenas are unbear-ably?... un-hyena-ably? cute, but I know some people think they are
a bit “off”...their scraggly mane, awkward proportions, occasionally sparsely-furred
face, and yeah, their weirdly pale poop. And researchers have found that one thing
that turns us humans off from animals is traits that - on a human - would look unhealthy,
old, or just plain ugly. But while these critters won’t win any beauty
contests, we don’t go so far as to cast them as villains, either. Hyenas’ PR problem might also stem from
the fact that, just as we view animals’ appearance through a human lens, we also view
their behavior through a human lens. And when a species, I don’t know, chows
down on rotten meat, or gives birth through a 7-inch pseudopenis - it might violate our
standards for what’s acceptable, instinctively triggering a deep dislike in us. Just look at how we view the...um...alternative
behaviors of snakes, bats, and rats, animals that we also reliably typecast as villains. Of course, the offbeat survival strategies
of hyenas - and rats and bats and snakes - don’t actually make them evil - they’ve just evolved
very different ways than we have of making it in the world. In fact, I’d argue that their weirdness
makes them especially awesome and interesting - but I’m not necessarily trying to get
you to love hyenas. I just think that our tendency to write off
entire species based on our own limited perspective might say more about us than it does about
them...maybe we should throw out our bias and throw them a bone. OK, so clearly I’m not shy about displaying
my love for hyenas... OR for MinuteEarth! And neither are you all, since you’ve been
asking for moar MinuteEarth merch. And we’ve finally made it happen - check
out these paw-some sticker packs featuring some of our favorite MinuteEarth characters,
including a very cute and cuddly hyena. You can pre-order them right now at DFTBA.com/MinuteEarth. And, with the help of our patrons, we’ve
also designed two great new T-shirts. Plus, you can always add some of our classic
merch to your order as well. Check it all out at DFTBA.com/MinuteEarth,
and be sure to tweet us or tag us on Instagram to show off your new stuff! Also, congrats to our latest caption contest
winner. The next image is ready for awesome caption
suggestions from all levels of Patrons at Patreon.com/MinuteEarth.
