EAST ETHIOPIA

Harar >> Hyena Men Performance

As darkness falls over the ancient walled city of Harar, local people and tourists make their way to the outskirts of the city to see a performance.

To illuminate the night's events only the headlights of a car are used. Then a small group of curious spectators gathers a few feet from the hyena man of Harar. He then calls out to wild hyenas using his own "hyena dialect" and the wild animals draw closer from the place of their habitation -the forests surrounding the city

Mouth to mouth feeding

He picks pieces of raw meat, places them in his mouth, and then calls out to one of the hyenas to come forward.

The called one advances towards him and snatch the meat from his mouth with its large teeth.

Legend

According to legend, the hyenas were fed by the inhabitants of Harar to calm down the animals in good times, so that in times of drought they would not attack people or livestock. Today, the hyena men of Harar make a living by feeding wild hyenas for the benefit of tourists and some curious local people.