“The Strandwolf”

The Brown Hyena is the rarest species of hyena. They are predominantly solitary scavengers famous for their shaggy, dark coats, striped legs, and pointed ears. The term “strandwolf” was coined on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, where the hyenas are often found scavenging along the coastline.

Brown Hyena numbers have historically declined due to ongoing human persecution and habitat loss. Farmers often mistakenly kill them for scavenging on already dead livestock.

This Brown Hyena portrait was created using a technique similar to scratchboard, where the black area is scraped away with sharp tools to reveal the white of the paper beneath.