About this episode

Dr. Christine Wilkinson discusses the fascinating and often misunderstood world of hyaenas, covering their social structures, behaviors, and the misconceptions surrounding them.

Giggles. Pseudopenises. Matriarchies? Media slander. Hyaenidologist Dr. Christine Wilkinson delivers stories about the nature of matrilinearity, hot Lion King gossip, bristle backs, tiny heads, big teeth, animation errors, human-hyena interactions, tongue bumps, termite poisons, lawsuits, and why these animals have been robbed of respect and denied the devotion the so deserve. Ready yourself for stories from this delightful carnivore ecologist, hyena researcher, PBS science communicator, National Geographic Explorer, and curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. And raise a glass to your new favorite undercats.

People in this episode

Host: Alie Ward

Guest: Christine Wilkinson

Topics covered

• hyaenas
• matriarchies
• carnivore ecology
• human-animal interactions
• animal behavior

Keywords

• hyaenidology
• matrilinearity
• Lion King
• carnivores
• ecology
• animal respect
• hyena research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, PBS, National Geographic

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