Hyena Feeding In Harar Ethiopia

By Jonny Blair


How to get to Harar Ethiopia

To do the hyena feeding you'll need to be in Harar, and as the feeding occurs at dusk (7pm ish - changes depending on the seasons), you'll need to spend at least a night in the town of Harar. You have to be keen if you want to get there - it's a long, scary and gruelling bus journey in a crampt and overcrowded mini-bus trust me!

You need to get a mini bus from Addis Ababa - the capital of Ethiopia. Once you get the bus it will take a long time through winding dangerous roads to get you to Harar. It can take between 8 and 15 hours. It's hilly but worth it.

Admire the views of Harar at night before the hyenas come.

Walk to the hyena feeding in Harar - it's the quickest way.

How much does Hyena Feeding in Harar cost?

Its costs about 100 birr each - 5 US dollars.

What exactly do you mean by Hyena Feeding in Harar?

At dusk hyenas come out and backpackers want to head and feed them!!

What is hyena feeding in Harar?

We walked down to feed hyenas.

We got there at 6.45pm and paid the hyena man 100 Birr. He shakes your hand and introduces himself, then you sit down by "the tree".

The hyena man goes first so you can see how it's done. He holds a bit of meat on a stick. The hyena comes up, hungry and eager.

Then the hyena man bites a piece of wood and holds it in his mouth. Meat is put on the other end of it. Again the hyena rocks up, snatches it with its jaw and walks back.

These are the three main things you will do at the hyena feeding:

1. Feeding the hyenas mouth to mouth.

2. Hand into mouth.

3. On Your Back - Crouch down and the trainer holds a bit of meat above your head near your ear. The only way for a hyena to reach it, is for it to jump on your back and bite it there and then. So be ready - these are heavy beasts!!

The feeding a hyena by hand is the calmest and easiest part. We've all done that before with dogs, kangaroos etc. But the whole experience is just memorable!! I will never forget Harar or the hyena experience!!

Is it dangerous to do hyena feeding in Harar?

It's not too dangerous! Hyenas have a bigger bite and jaw than lions and cheetahs, incredibly. But they are not hunters or predators - their peronsality is to be more shy and timid. For this reason, they devour any dead meat they see, and they scavenge the streets for any food they can find. They go for the easy stuff - dead animals, rubbish bins and meat that just happens to be lying there. So this means you shouldn't really have any fear.

Is it possible to take photos?

Of course it's fine! It's easy to spot a tourist here. Also - if you're scared you don't need to do it - you can just go there and watch it from a distance - no problem. If you do this, it's honourable to give an amount of money (at your discretion) to the "hyena man", as he's working for you and putting on a show.

I'd say guys and girls, this is pretty much ALL you need to know about the hyena feeding in Harar. Leave me some comments below if you like it and want to ask me anything!




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