Within Ethiopia Monsters
Why Do Hyenas Walk Into Harar?
Harar's famous hyenas turn a feared night scavenger into a city neighbour, tourist encounter and omen-bearing animal.
On this page
- The walled city and its hyena doors
- Hyena men, feeding rituals and tourism
- Omens, saints and spirit world messages
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Introduction
Why do hyenas walk into Harar?[youtube.com]youtube.comHarar's HyenasEthiopia's Hyena Man – The Wildest Person I've Ever Met…
In most of Africa, spotted hyenas are animals people try to keep away from their homes. In the eastern Ethiopian city of Harar, they do the opposite. Hyenas regularly enter the old walled city at night, pass through specially known openings in the walls, feed on scraps, wander the streets and then leave again before dawn. Over centuries, this unusual coexistence has turned the hyena from a feared scavenger into something closer to a neighbour, a protector and, in local tradition, a messenger between the human and spirit worlds.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
For a project about Ethiopia’s strange-creature traditions, Harar is important because it shows how a real animal can acquire many of the qualities usually associated with cryptids and legendary beasts. The hyenas are undeniably real, yet the stories surrounding them involve saints, omens, spirits and supernatural communication. The result is one of the world’s most remarkable examples of folklore and wildlife living side by side.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
The Walled City and Its Hyena Doors
Harar is one of Ethiopia’s most famous historic cities, enclosed by a defensive wall that helped define urban life for centuries. Unlike many walled settlements, however, Harar developed a relationship with a large predator that was not entirely hostile. Hyenas became part of the city’s nightly rhythm. Rather than being excluded completely, they were tolerated and even expected.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
Local accounts describe hyenas entering and leaving through openings often referred to as “hyena doors”. These routes allowed the animals to move between the countryside and the city while feeding on discarded animal remains and other waste. In practical terms, the hyenas acted as a form of natural refuse disposal. In cultural terms, their regular appearance made them familiar figures rather than mysterious visitors from the wilderness.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
This is one reason Harar occupies a special place in Ethiopian animal folklore. Elsewhere, a hyena glimpsed at night might become the centre of frightening stories about shapeshifters, grave robbers or evil-eye sorcerers. In Harar, the same animal became part of the city’s identity. The creature remained powerful and potentially dangerous, but it was also known, named and expected.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Hyena Men, Feeding Rituals and Tourism
The best-known expression of Harar’s relationship with hyenas is the nightly feeding tradition. Visitors gather after dark to watch experienced local handlers—often called “hyena men”—call wild hyenas from the surrounding area and offer them pieces of meat. Some hyenas take food from sticks, while particularly trusted animals may feed at extremely close range.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Modern accounts trace the current tourist spectacle to feeding practices that became established during the twentieth century, although local traditions linking people and hyenas are older. The most famous feeding families have passed the role between generations, creating long-term relationships with particular animals and clans of hyenas.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
The attraction works because it overturns expectations. Most people think of hyenas as aggressive scavengers with a fearsome reputation. Watching them approach calmly, wait for food and interact predictably with familiar humans creates a powerful sense of surprise. That contrast has helped turn the feeding sessions into one of Harar’s best-known tourist experiences.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Yet the practice is more than a performance. The feeding ritual reflects a broader social understanding that the hyenas are part of the community’s landscape. Even when tourists are absent, some feeders continue the routine, reinforcing the idea that the relationship exists for local reasons first and tourism second.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Why Hyenas Became Omens Rather Than Monsters
Harar’s folklore differs sharply from many other hyena traditions because it treats the animals as carriers of information rather than simply sources of danger.
One recurring belief is that hyenas can reveal the mood of the unseen world. Their behaviour is sometimes interpreted as a sign of coming fortune or misfortune, and feeding outcomes have traditionally been read as meaningful. In some accounts, the appetite or behaviour of hyenas during ritual feeding could be taken as an indication of how the coming year might unfold. These interpretations place the animals in the role of omen-bearers rather than monsters.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
The logic is easy to understand from a folklore perspective. Hyenas are nocturnal, highly alert and often appear to react to things humans cannot detect. To observers living in a world rich with beliefs about spirits and saints, an animal that moved confidently through darkness could seem connected to hidden knowledge. Anthropological studies of Harar’s hyena traditions have noted that local people often viewed the animals as operating in a realm partly beyond ordinary human perception.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
This gives Harar’s hyenas a role similar to omen animals found in many cultures. Ravens, owls and wolves have served similar functions elsewhere. In Harar, the hyena occupies that position because it is the large night-wandering animal people encounter most often.
Saints, Spirits and Messages From Another World
The most unusual aspect of Harar’s hyena lore concerns communication between worlds.[wildimages-phototours.com]wildimages-phototours.comhyena men hararWild Images Photography ToursMeet the Hyena Men of Harar with Wild Images1 Jul 2020 — Spotted Hyenas in the city lights wait patiently fo…
Harar is sometimes called the “City of Saints”, and local traditions connect hyenas to the city’s sacred landscape. According to folklore recorded by scholars and journalists, hyenas can act as intermediaries between people and revered saints. Some stories describe them carrying messages, while others portray them as creatures capable of interacting with spiritual forces that remain invisible to humans.[Wikipedia]WikipediaOpen source on wikipedia.org.
A particularly important belief holds that hyenas help protect the city from troublesome spirits. Local residents interviewed in modern accounts have explained that the animals are valued because they keep harmful supernatural beings away from homes and streets. Rather than fearing the hyena as a servant of evil forces, many Hararis traditionally viewed it as a defence against them.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
This idea may seem surprising given the animal’s reputation elsewhere in Ethiopia, where folklore often links hyenas with witchcraft, shapeshifting and the evil eye. Harar effectively reverses the symbolism. The same creature that appears as a frightening figure in one region becomes a guardian in another.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
The Pact Between the City and the Hyenas
One of Harar’s best-known legends explains how the partnership began.
According to local tradition, a severe famine once drove hungry hyenas to attack vulnerable people around the city. Faced with the threat, holy men or saints negotiated a settlement. The people would provide food for the hyenas, and in return the animals would stop attacking residents. Whether taken as history, symbolic folklore or a mixture of both, the story frames the relationship as a negotiated peace rather than a victory of humans over wildlife.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
The tale remains influential because it captures a deeper truth about coexistence. Harar did not solve the problem of living with large carnivores by eliminating them. Instead, local memory celebrates accommodation, reciprocity and mutual benefit. The legend transforms a potentially dangerous predator into a participant in the city’s social order.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Some annual religious observances still include food offerings connected to these traditions, helping preserve the story even as the city modernises.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
Folklore, Wildlife and the Reality Behind the Legend
Unlike many creatures discussed in cryptid history, Harar’s hyenas are not mysterious because people doubt their existence. Their importance comes from the opposite situation: everyone knows they are real.
The mystery lies in the meanings attached to them. The animals that roam Harar’s streets are ordinary spotted hyenas from a zoological perspective. The omens, saintly connections and spirit-world roles belong to folklore rather than biology. Researchers studying Harar have generally interpreted these beliefs as cultural traditions shaped by centuries of close observation of a highly intelligent nocturnal carnivore.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
That combination of reality and legend makes Harar unusual. Many famous monster traditions begin with uncertain sightings of something unknown. Harar’s tradition begins with a known animal and gradually layers symbolism, ritual and supernatural meaning on top of it. The result is a creature that is simultaneously neighbour, scavenger, tourist attraction, protector and omen-bearer.
For Ethiopia’s wider tradition of strange-animal stories, Harar’s hyenas demonstrate how folklore often grows not from hidden beasts but from familiar animals that people encounter so often—and think about so deeply—that they become part of the boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds.[The Guardian]theguardian.comLocally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: theguardian.com
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/05/hyenas-harar-ethiopia-how-city-fell-in-love-with-its-bone-crunching-scavengers-aoe
Source snippet
Locally known as "hyena men," Abbas Yusuf and his predecessors have cultivated a tradition of feeding hyenas, which in turn help by consu...
2.
Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harar
3.
Source: wildimages-phototours.com
Title: hyena men harar
Link:https://www.wildimages-phototours.com/hyena-men-harar/
Source snippet
Wild Images Photography ToursMeet the Hyena Men of Harar with Wild Images1 Jul 2020 — Spotted Hyenas in the city lights wait patiently fo...
4.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QzukX-5wZ0
Source snippet
The Forgotten Islamic City (Official Trailer)Behind its ancient walls and five symbolic gates, Harar stands as a living archive of Islami...
5.
Source: bradtguides.com
Title: the hyena men of harar
Link:https://www.bradtguides.com/the-hyena-men-of-harar/
Source snippet
28 Oct 2018 — One of Harar's most enduringly popular attractions is its two 'hyena men', who make their living by feeding wild hyenas aft...
6.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Link:https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Harar
Source snippet
Travel guide at WikivoyageHarar (sometimes spelled Harrar or Harer) is an ancient city in eastern Ethiopia. Harar Jugol, the old walled...
7.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Harar’s Hyenas
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYhF_N_oRNU
Source snippet
Ethiopia's Hyena Man – The Wildest Person I've Ever Met...
Additional References
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POV: You're a tourist for 1 night in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia....The hyena feeding in Harar is a unique nightly tradition where locals fe...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90kQAREM6jc
Source snippet
Feeding time with Harar's Hyena ManIn his mid-60s, the so-called 'Hyena Man', Youssef Mumme, is preparing scraps of meat to feed the hyen...
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Source: brilliant-ethiopia.com
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1875...... city of Harar are that the feeding of hyenas. In the evening the hyenas come out of the dark shade devour the garbage all ove...
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Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Title: Attractions g676757 Activities Harar Harari Region
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THE 10 BEST Things to Do in Harar (2026)Situated in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, Harar is a vibrant town woven from ancient history...
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as a public expression of gratitude for your friendly assistance.Read more...
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