Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) (Etosha National Park, Namibia) The Spotted Hyena. Misunderstood and maligned. Criticized and reviled. An apex predator that many see only as a filthy scavenger. My chosen spirit animal. Yup. I always go for the underdog. It was raining heavily in Lalibela when I left for Harar, so I crossed my fingers for better weather, but angry clouds were already gathering as I landed at the airport in Dire Dawa and it was pouring by the time my driver got