World's Only Captive Hyena Colony Scheduled To Close

Published August 4, 2014 at 12:50 PM EDT

After 30 years, funding for the captive hyena research colony - the only of its kind in the world - has run out. (Courtesy of Frederic Theunissen)

For the past 30 years, dozens of spotted hyenas have called the hills above the University of California, Berkeley, their home while living in the only captive research colony in the world.

But funding for the colony has run out and the spotted gender-bending mammals are being moved to various locations, including zoos around the world, and maybe even Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.

The spotted hyena had its 15 minutes of fame in the Disney film “The Lion King.” Animators visited the colony as part of their research.

As the colony marks its last few days, Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson speaks with pet and wildlife reporter Vicki Croke about this not-so-popular mammal.

Read more and see more photos via WBUR’s “The Wild Life” blog

Guest

Vicki Croke, pet and wildlife reporter for WBUR’s blog, “The Wild Life.” She tweets @TheWildLifeWBUR.