Hirogen

Player Race: No
Relation to UFP: Unknown

ACTDNoteworthy:
- There may have been more contact from the Federation and this species through the Hirogen's relay network, however this unknown currently.

Description
Spacefaring civilization in the Delta Quadrant.  The Hirogen social structure is organized around packs of hunters, each led by a Hirogen designated as alpha.  Status within each pack is determined by possession of prizes from hunts, usually body parts obtained from prey.  Hirogen spacecraft roamed the Delta Quadrant, either alone or in small groups, seeking prey.  By the 24th century, the nomadic Hirogen were no longer identified any single planet as their homeworld (Hunters -VGR, Prey -VGR).  Hirogen culture requires a hunter to study his prey to understand its abilities, believing that such study is essential to prevent a hunter from becoming the hunted (The Killing Game, parts 1 and 2 -VGR).  The Hirogen civilization was not only ancient, but possessed extremely advanced technology.  Some 100,000 years ago, they built a far-flung communications network throughout the Delta Quadrant that continued to operate into the 24th century (Message in a Bottle -VGR).  Yet by that time, Hirogen society put nearly all of its energy into increasingly unproductive hunts in increasingly exhausted territories, bringing cultural and scientific advancement to a near standstill (The Killing Game, parts 1 and 2 -VGR).
Star Trek: The Encyclopedia (1999 edition) -Supplement