Getting to Harar in Eastern 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!
To get to Harar the mini bus can be a bit of a nightmare! Use local buses and you'll be able to do it no problem.
The view over the old city of Harar - a great spot by day and the hyenas come out at night!
Walk to the hyena feeding in Harar - it's the quickest way.
How much does Hyena Feeding in Harar cost?
For me, and the other three guys that did it, it was 100 Birr each. That's somewhere between $5 and $6 US Dollars. That's totally worth it, believe me. In fact I'd say it's a bargain as this is a special travel memory.
What is hyena feeding?
At dusk hyenas come out and backpackers want to head and feed them!!
An overview of what happens at the Hyena Feeding in Harar?
We headed down the street 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 hyenas are used to it as part of a daily routine now! It's quite cool in fact! It bites it, devours it and walks back a few metres.
We made videos and took photos of him and it was great fun to watch. After Feder had his go, I was third up and so excited.
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feed them mouth to mouth.
2. Hand to Mouth - Hold a piece of wood in your hand. Put meat on the other end. The hyena comes up, takes it, eats it and walks back.
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.
Are photos allowed?
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!
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!
To get to Harar the mini bus can be a bit of a nightmare! Use local buses and you'll be able to do it no problem.
The view over the old city of Harar - a great spot by day and the hyenas come out at night!
Walk to the hyena feeding in Harar - it's the quickest way.
How much does Hyena Feeding in Harar cost?
For me, and the other three guys that did it, it was 100 Birr each. That's somewhere between $5 and $6 US Dollars. That's totally worth it, believe me. In fact I'd say it's a bargain as this is a special travel memory.
What is hyena feeding?
At dusk hyenas come out and backpackers want to head and feed them!!
An overview of what happens at the Hyena Feeding in Harar?
We headed down the street 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 hyenas are used to it as part of a daily routine now! It's quite cool in fact! It bites it, devours it and walks back a few metres.
We made videos and took photos of him and it was great fun to watch. After Feder had his go, I was third up and so excited.
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feed them mouth to mouth.
2. Hand to Mouth - Hold a piece of wood in your hand. Put meat on the other end. The hyena comes up, takes it, eats it and walks back.
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.
Are photos allowed?
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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