He was overheating and running out of time
By Sarah Ashley
Published on Dec 11, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Last month, employees at a South African landfill came upon a grim scene when they arrived at work one morning. Sprawled in the dirt, unmoving, was a spotted hyena.
The workers called Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) for assistance. A LEDET conservation official notified the Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation (PNHF), which sent volunteers and a veterinarian to the site.
“The hyena was lying in the open, in full sun and breathing rapidly,” Eugene Troskie, managing director at PNHF, told The Dodo. “[He] was already in a comatose state.”
The animal had a snare around his neck and wasn’t conscious, but he was alive, which meant he had a chance.
The vet sedated him for everyone’s safety, then the team moved the hyena out of the sun and into the back of a truck.
The hyena’s dangerously high body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit meant they had to act quickly. They placed ice packs on his legs and feet, and every 15 minutes they doused him in cold water.
“We were all doubtful about the animal’s recovery,” Troskie said. “He didn’t even show signs of having a blinking reflex when touching his eyes.”
The vet believed the animal had ingested poison of some kind.
Over the course of a day, the vet administered several medications, and volunteers poured more than 15 gallons of water onto the hyena’s body, hoping to cool him down and pull him out of his coma.
Miraculously, around 6 p.m., the hyena opened his eyes.
To everyone’s disbelief, several hours later, the hyena stood up. He looked a little uncertain about his surroundings.
Around 1 a.m., after nearly 20 hours of care, the PNHF team opened the cage door.
“We didn’t want to keep him in the cage any longer than necessary,” Troskie said, “due to hyenas often breaking their teeth on cages.”
The hyena slowly poked his head out, sniffed the ground, then trotted off into the trees.
Since that night, the team hasn’t seen the hyena again — which is great news. They’re confident he found his clan and will make a full recovery.
The Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. Its anti-poaching, research and snare removal work is crucial to conservation efforts in South Africa. To support this work, you can donate here.