The brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also called the strandwolf, is a species of hyena found in Namibia, Botswana, western and southern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, western Eswatini, and South Africa. It is the only extant species in the genus Parahyaena. It is currently the rarest species of hyena. The largest remaining brown hyena population is located in the southern Kalahari Desert and coastal areas in Southwest Africa. The global population of brown hyena is estimated by IUCN at a number between 4,000 and 10,000 and its conservation status is marked as near threatened in the IUCN Red List.

Brown hyenas are distinguished from other species by their long shaggy dark brown coat, pointed ears, and short tail. Their legs are striped brown and white, and adults have a distinct cream-colored fur ruff around their necks. Erectile hairs up to 305 mm (12.0 in) in length cover the neck and back and bristles during agonistic behavior. Body length is 144 cm (57 in) on average with a range of 130–160 cm (51–63 in). Shoulder height is 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and the tail is 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in) long. Unlike the larger spotted hyena, there are no sizable differences between the sexes, although males may be slightly larger than females. An average adult male weighs 40.2–43.7 kg (89–96 lb), while an average female weighs 37.7–40.2 kg (83–89 lb). Brown hyenas have powerful jaws, and young animals can crack the leg bones of springboks in five minutes, though this ability deteriorates with age and dental wear. The skulls of brown hyenas are larger than those of the closely related striped hyena, and their dentition is more robust, indicating a more specialized dietary adaptation.

The brown hyena inhabits desert areas, semi-desert, and open woodland savannah in Southern Africa. In the Namib, it also lives near seal colonies and in abandoned diamond mining towns. It is not dependent on water sources for frequent drinking and favours rocky, mountainous areas, as these provide shade.

Today, the brown hyena only inhabits Southern Africa, with the earliest known occurrence in the region during the Late Pliocene based on fossils from the Makapansgat-Member 3, dated to approximately 2.85 to 2.58 million years ago. It may have lived also in the Iberian Peninsula and perhaps in other parts of Europe, indicated by fossils found at Fonelas 1 near Granada dated to the Late Pliocene. It is uncertain whether the Fonelas hyena specimens are truly brown hyena. Early Pleistocene brown hyenas are known to have fed on hominins, though whether this constituted scavenging or active predation is unclear.

During the Middle Pleistocene, it inhabited what is now Kenya. Latrines made by brown hyenas have been discovered in South Africa dating back to the Middle Pleistocene. There is the possibility that Parahyaena may be synonymous with the extinct Pachycrocuta, making the brown hyena the only extant member of this genus. Other authors however do not support such a position.

In the Kalahari, 80% of a brown hyena's activity time is spent at night, searching for food in an area on spanning 31.1 km (19.3 mi) on average, with territories of 54.4 km (33.8 mi) having been recorded. They may cache excess food in shrubs or holes and recover it within 24 hours.

Brown hyenas maintain a stable clan hierarchy of four to six related individuals with a mated pair and their offspring; a male can move up in rank by killing a higher ranking male in confrontation, while the alpha female is usually just the oldest female in the clan. Clans defend their territory, and all members cooperate in raising cubs. Territories are marked by 'pasting' on vegetation and boulders, during which the hyena deposits secretions from its large anal gland, which is located below the base of the tail and produces a black and white paste. Emigration is common in brown hyena clans, particularly among young males, which join other groups upon reaching adulthood.

The brown hyena is primarily a scavenger. The bulk of its diet consists of carcasses killed by larger predators, but it supplements its diet with rodents, small birds, insects, eggs, feces, fruit like tsama melon Citrullus lanatus var. vulgaris, the hookeri melon Cucumis africanus and the gemsbok melon Acanthosicyos naudinianus), and the desert truffle (Kalaharituber pfeilii). Live prey makes up only a small proportion of its diet. In the southern Kalahari Desert, species such as springhare, gemsbok, springbok lambs, Burchell's zebra, bat-eared foxes, korhaans, crowned lapwings and helmeted guinea fowl constitute 4.2% of its diet, while on the Namib coast, black-backed jackals and cape fur seal pups compose 2.9% of the diet. It has an exceptional sense of smell and can locate carcasses kilometers away.