Do hyenas have any redeeming features at all?
The notion that Nature must justify itself to humanity is a holdover from creationism, I think. By contrasting the peculiar social behavior of hyenas with other social animals, including primates, we may learn more about ourselves and why we became social, and the evolutionary reasons for male dominance and female dominance. They also keep their prey animals’ numbers under control like any other carnivore, and help rid the plains of carcasses. Finally, hyenas are interesting and have a basic right to exist, just like any other living thing.
