Bone-crushing hyenas are cleaning up city streets in Ethiopia
CNN • • world
Key Points:
- Abbas Yusuf in Harar, Ethiopia, continues the centuries-old tradition of feeding wild hyenas by hand, fostering a unique coexistence that attracts tourists and preserves cultural heritage.
- Research led by Dr. Gidey Yirga shows urban hyenas in Mekelle play a vital ecological role by consuming nearly 5,000 metric tons of organic waste annually, reducing disease spread and saving the city significant waste disposal costs.
- Despite their global reputation as fearsome predators, hyenas in Ethiopia are viewed variably—from revered spiritual cleaners in Harar to nuisance animals elsewhere—highlighting the complexity of human-wildlife relationships.
- The decline of hyena populations across Africa is driven by habitat loss and human retaliation, exacerbated by negative cultural portrayals; experts advocate for education and urban planning that protect these important scavengers.
- Efforts in Harar to preserve hyena-human coexistence include developing an eco-park for controlled tourist interactions, while concerns remain about urban expansion threatening hyena habitats and natural behaviors.