Extremely rare brown hyenas arrive at Newquay Zoo for the first time

Newquay Zoo has welcomed two of the world’s rarest carnivores – a young pair of endangered brown hyenas – making it the only zoo in the South West, and just one of two in the UK, to house this elusive species.  

The sibling pair, named Flo and Quinn, arrived from Hamerton Zoo Park on Tuesday 15 July. At just under two years old, the young hyenas are already exploring their new home – a specially adapted enclosure which previously housed the zoo’s lions, who are now thriving at sister site Paignton Zoo.  

John Meek, Curator of Plants and Animals said:  

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome brown hyenas to Newquay Zoo. They are one of Africa’s least understood carnivores - shy, solitary and beautifully adapted for survival in some of the toughest environments on Earth. For people to be able to see them, up close, is a powerful reminder of why zoo conservation matters.”  

Brown hyenas (Parahyaena brunnea), also known as strandwolves, are the rarest of the four hyena species, with as few as 5,000 estimated to remain in the wild. Endemic to southern Africa, they play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health as nature's cleanup crew, consuming carcasses that prevent disease spread and help recycle nutrients back into the environment.  

With their shaggy coats, powerful jaws and incredible sense of smell, they are perfectly adapted scavengers, consuming almost every part of a carcass, including bone, while also supplementing their diet with fruit, eggs and insects. Compared to their spotted and striped relatives, brown hyenas are far less studied and represent the most endangered of all hyena species. 

The hyenas’ arrival is expected to be a major summer draw for visitors to the Cornish zoo, offering a rare chance to observe this secretive species in an intimate setting. Their habitat includes multiple shelter areas, naturalistic landscaping and space for enrichment opportunities to encourage natural behaviours, once they’ve settled in.  

Newquay Zoo is consistently at the forefront of conservation and visitor engagement. As part of Wild Planet Trust - alongside Paignton Zoo and several UK nature reserves - the zoo contributes to a wide range of UK and overseas conservation projects, including vital work in southern Africa, where brown hyenas are found in the wild. Closer to home, the zoo has proudly achieved recognised breeding successes – including the recent birth of critically endangered cotton-top tamarins and the participation in a lynx rewilding programme in Europe – as well as BIAZA-award-winning research and engaging education programmes for schools and home educators across the South West. Every visit to Newquay Zoo supports this broader mission: to help halt species decline. 

For more information, visit Newquay Zoo’s website or follow us on social media for updates.