Hyenas are "evil and scary"? Hyenas haven't bitten anyone in 200 years in small Esse town

The city has a long history of peaceful coexistence with hyenas. Centuries ago, these animals attacked people, sometimes even biting the townspeople to death. Later, people made holes in the walls and threw food scraps in the holes, so the hyenas started eating the leftovers and stopped attacking people. According to the Harar people, there has not been another hyena attack on humans for 200 years.

Production|WebEasy Scientist Program

Translator|Zhai Zhongchao

Abbas is feeding the hyenas in his home. Hyenas are one of the most feared animals in the world, but in this small Ethiopian village, a man named Abbas is so close to them that he’s known as “Hyena Man”. (All images in this article were taken by Brian Lyman)

Abbas is feeding the hyenas in front of his house.

As dusk falls on the ancient walls of Harar (a city in eastern Ethiopia), the silence is occasionally broken by a few creepy howls. In the dusk, five hungry hyenas form a circle, with a young man crouching in the middle. The hyenas' bat-like ears swiveled back and forth in greedy anticipation, their sharp teeth already exposed. It was time to eat.

Although the spotted hyena is considered a vicious scavenger around the world, the inhabitants of this small Ethiopian city don’t care. A young man took a chunk of meat out of his basket and instead of attacking, the hyena walked straight forward like a domestic dog and took the meat from the young man.

Magala Gudo meat market in Harar. The hyenas visit this market every night because of the scraps that are thrown into the garbage.

Abbas Joseph studied under his father, Mumei Salleh. Mumei used to lure the hyenas away from the livestock with leftover meat. Years later, the tradition has continued and has become a popular local tourist attraction.

A hyena is returning to its den, which is near a landfill.

Photographer Brian Lyman recorded these shots. Lyman says it was this deep and unique relationship between man and beast that drew him to the site. “Almost everyone is afraid of hyenas because they can chew you up and leave a mess on the ground in a matter of minutes, but this little town in Ethiopia is an exception, and even the children here are not afraid of hyenas.”

A hyena rests near a landfill.

The city has a long history of peaceful coexistence with hyenas. Centuries ago, these animals attacked people, sometimes even biting townspeople to death. Later, people made holes in the walls and threw food scraps in the holes, so the hyenas started eating the leftovers and stopped attacking people. The Harar people claim that there have been no more hyena attacks on humans for 200 years.

Hyenas searching for leftover food at a landfill in Harar.

Abbas Yosef near a hyena den. Known as “Hyena Man,” Abbas learned from his father how to feed these wild animals.

“Abbas stood on the hill and called the hyenas and brought them home so Abbas could show visitors how to feed them,” says Lyman. Lyman said. Abbas also gave each iguana a name, and some of them responded positively. Abbas has even developed a special dialect to call the iguanas in his den.

Abbas is preparing dinner for the hyenas.

Although Lyman was not a wildlife photographer, he did have experience photographing animals in the wild and famously said - “The reality is that you need to be as close to the subject as possible to get a visually striking shot. " “When I’m with Abbas, I can shoot as much as I want, but when I’m alone, it takes quite a while to win the hyena’s trust,” Lyman added.

An iguana wanders the streets at night in Harar, with a police officer sitting on the street. Hyenas are as common in the old city of Harar as domestic dogs.

Abbas feeds the hyenas outside his home. Not only do the hyenas enjoy Abbas’s generosity, but they also feast on the city’s landfill.

One night, an iguana - who was very close to Abbas - led Abbas and Lyman to their den. “At one point you feel hesitation: are they looking for a place to end me?” Lyman said. “But you don’t think so when you realize how close Abbas and the hyenas are.” Abbas crawled into one of the dens! There were hyena pups in the den! “There were several hyenas near the den, and they could have bitten Abbas in two seconds, but they didn’t,” added Lyman. “Abbas did whatever he wanted, and the hyenas didn’t care.”

Abbas came to the landfill. Abbas feeds the hyenas himself every night.

Hyenas search for food in a large dumpster at the Magala Gudo meat market in Harar, a peculiar tradition passed down from generation to generation.

This peculiar tradition, passed down from generation to generation, transcends the natural order and suggests that this feared and folkloricized animal may be misunderstood. As Lyman puts it, “There is no doubt that hyenas are ugly animals. But they are beautiful on the inside.”

This article is from: Netease Science Guy Editorial：Guo Hao_NT5629