The striped hyenas, three in number, will be the new addition in Jambu Zoo. These bone-crushing animals are being brought from Nahargarh Biological Park, Jaipur in exchange of two Himalayan Black Bears as per the Animal Collection Plan of the Jambu Zoo approved by the Central Zoo Authority.
The hyena will reach Jammu on November 18 and will be open for the public from November 20, 2025. The free ranging Striped Hyena is the only native hyena species in India, found in fragmented populations across dry and semi-arid regions, including states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, parts of the Deccan Plateau and in captivity in various zoos of the country.
The striped hyena has a fairly massive body and its hind legs are significantly shorter than the forelimbs, thus causing the back to slope downwards. The striped hyena is a primarily nocturnal animal, typically lives alone or in pairs, though groups of up to seven animals are known.
The striped hyena is primarily a scavenger which feeds mainly on deer carcasses in different stages of decomposition, fresh bones, cartilages, ligaments and bone marrow. It crushes long bones into fine particles and swallows them, though sometimes entire bones are eaten whole.
The Hyenas will be housed in a naturalistic and enriched enclosure having a space of more than 600 square meters as per the CZA norms with water ponds, heating and ventilation facility for extreme weather conditions. The Hyenas will be kept under quarantine for two days and thereafter will be released in the paddock for public display.
This will be the additional attraction in the family of Jambu Zoo which is already housing various animals like Lions, Tigers, Wolf, Marsh Crocodiles, Gharials, Leopards, Black Bucks, Cheetal, Sambar, Neelgai, Gorals, Hog Deer, Barking Deer, Emu, Procupine, Black Bears, Brown Bear, Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat and various species of snakes like Cobras, Pythons, Rat Snake, Russell’s viper and Royal Snakes.
The addition of Hyenas will be a great delight for the public especially children, wildlife enthusiasts and for the visitors.