Arrival into Harar in Ethiopia
You need to get to Harar to do the hyena feeding which happens around 7pm at night and its a long bus ride so be ready for it!
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.
The view over the old city of Harar - a great spot by day and the hyenas come out at night!
To get to the hyena feeding in Harar, you can just walk. It's a 5-10 minute walk out of the city. I don't have street names or directions - you won't need that at all. You'll find it believe me. You can also get a tuk tuk (local blue and white three wheelers) out there but why pay for one when it's only a short walk. In terms of time, it's every night at dusk. This means it changes depending on the seasons. I went around 6.45pm just before it got dark.
How much does Hyena Feeding in Harar cost?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
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?
Myself and two buddies I met in Harar (Dutch guys Feder and Peter) walked down out of the city past the walls along this descending lane. At the end there is an ominous tree. It is here, in recent darkness that you will do the hyena feeding.
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".
You'll be buzzing and you won't feel scared. I was loving it and couldn't wait to get face to face with one of these beasts!
There were about 3 hyenas there at this point, taking it in turns to take the meat. By this stage there were 4 of us, a Canadian guy called Phil had turned up, and as he arrived last he sort of became the one to go up first!
These are the three main things you will do at the hyena feeding:
1. Mouth to Mouth - Hold a piece of wood in your mouth, gripping it with your teeth. Put meat on the other end. The hyena comes up, takes it, eats it and walks back.
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!!
It's a crazy experience if a tad scary!
How dangerous is 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.
Can you take photos and videos of the hyena feeding in Harar?
Of course!! That's part of the fun. As you can see from the photos on this post, it's a memory that will last a long time. I made a few videos too, all posted below. You can ask the guides to take your photos or your fellow travel buddies - and you'll meet a few white people in Harar.
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!
You need to get to Harar to do the hyena feeding which happens around 7pm at night and its a long bus ride so be ready for it!
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.
The view over the old city of Harar - a great spot by day and the hyenas come out at night!
To get to the hyena feeding in Harar, you can just walk. It's a 5-10 minute walk out of the city. I don't have street names or directions - you won't need that at all. You'll find it believe me. You can also get a tuk tuk (local blue and white three wheelers) out there but why pay for one when it's only a short walk. In terms of time, it's every night at dusk. This means it changes depending on the seasons. I went around 6.45pm just before it got dark.
How much does Hyena Feeding in Harar cost?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
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?
Myself and two buddies I met in Harar (Dutch guys Feder and Peter) walked down out of the city past the walls along this descending lane. At the end there is an ominous tree. It is here, in recent darkness that you will do the hyena feeding.
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".
You'll be buzzing and you won't feel scared. I was loving it and couldn't wait to get face to face with one of these beasts!
There were about 3 hyenas there at this point, taking it in turns to take the meat. By this stage there were 4 of us, a Canadian guy called Phil had turned up, and as he arrived last he sort of became the one to go up first!
These are the three main things you will do at the hyena feeding:
1. Mouth to Mouth - Hold a piece of wood in your mouth, gripping it with your teeth. Put meat on the other end. The hyena comes up, takes it, eats it and walks back.
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!!
It's a crazy experience if a tad scary!
How dangerous is 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.
Can you take photos and videos of the hyena feeding in Harar?
Of course!! That's part of the fun. As you can see from the photos on this post, it's a memory that will last a long time. I made a few videos too, all posted below. You can ask the guides to take your photos or your fellow travel buddies - and you'll meet a few white people in Harar.
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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For lots more cool backpacking articles like Hyena feeding ethiopia head to Jonny Blair's recommended backpacking blog for tips on backpacking in ethiopia
