# Monkey Companions Michael Stevenson's 'The Hyena Men' Shows off Man's New Best Friend By Ryan Hinkson | Published 2009-08-10 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/michael-stevenson-the-hyena-men References: [michaelstevenson](http://www.michaelstevenson.com/contemporary/exhibitions/hugo/nigeria_index2.htm) Dogs have had the title of ‘man’s best friend’ for what seems like forever. Well I say it’s time for a change. Why not make nice with a member of the animal kingdom who is a little closer to who we are as human beings? I think Michael Jackson was onto something when he brought Bubbles the chimp home. A collection of photos from the Michael Stevenson gallery entitled ‘The Hyena Men’ shows that these dudes were thinking a long the same lines. From riding on scooters to sharing clothes or hanging and chilling out, these images show a natural level of comfort between men and their monkeys. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.6/10 - Popularity: 4% | Activity: 6% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Animal Companions:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing new products or services that cater to the growing demand for alternative animal companions beyond traditional pets like dogs and cats. - **Inter-species Bonding:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring ways to foster and enhance relationships between humans and animals that share more similarities with humans in terms of behavior and cognition, like monkeys. - **Artistic Representation:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating new forms of artistic expression that capture the unique and meaningful connections between humans and animals. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Pet Care:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Rethinking pet care services and products to accommodate and cater to the needs of unconventional animal companions. - **Tourism and Travel:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing travel experiences and destinations that provide opportunities for people to interact and bond with unique animal companions, like monkeys. - **Fine Arts:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring new mediums and techniques in fine arts to depict and celebrate the relationships between humans and unconventional animal companions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Playful Monkey-Inspired Coat Stands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monkey-coat-stand.md) - [Collectible Tea Mascot Keychains](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pg-tips-monkey-collectible.md) - [Robotic Canine Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metadog.md) - [Human-Centric Pet Retail Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/my-human.md) - [Pet Lifestyle Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-original-1-1.md) - [Motorcycle-Friendly Pet Carriers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moon-carrier.md) - [Pet-Friendly E-Scooters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-mopet.md) - [Bionic Panda Cubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anan-bionic-panda-cub.md) - [Robotic Pet Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/guliguli-smart-companion.md)