Arrival into Harar in Ethiopia
The hyena feeding is in Harar so you'll need to get a crazy minibus out to it - it may take a while but it's worth the journey!
From the capital city, minibuses run from Addis Ababa directly to Harar, but also to Dire Dawa with a connection to Harar. To organise the mini-bus your best bet is actually just talk to locals in the streets and in your hostel and they'll sort you out. It really is that simple. I booked my mini-bus around 1pm in Addis Ababa and got on my minibus at 8.30pm. The minibus journeys can be long, gruelling and dangerous so be prepared for that. It will be worth it when you rock into Harar. My mini-bus took 15 hours in the end (a story for another post) and cost 300 Birr (which is about 16-17 $US Dollars).
Admire the views of Harar at night before the hyenas come.
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.
What price is it?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
What happens at hyena feeding?
Well the story goes that at dusk/nightfall wild hyenas roamed the streets of Harar scavenging and looking for food. The locals decided to befriend them and try to tame them over the years and it's worked. The hyenas now turn up at dusk and are ready for a live show which they are the stars of. The hyenas, in their innocent lives, are unaware of how popular or cool their activity has become. So after years of nightly hyena feeding by the local "hyena men", Harar's people realised the potential of this odd occurrence and as such turned it into a kind of tourist pull. A way for the locals to make money, the hyenas to get fed and the backpackers to get up close and personal to hyenas. Everyone's a winner here.
What is 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 arrived around 7pm and got ready to feed the hyenas
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!
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.
There are 3 main things you will do in terms of positions when feeding hyenas in Harar, and here are the three:
1. Feeding the hyenas 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. The hyena will jump on your back, in my case he walked up my back digging his paws in and devouring the food. It's hard to stand still and stay calm when you think about what's actually happening! This for me was the craziest moment. He jumped right on my back onto my Northern Ireland flag I had draped round me. Then he bit the food right by my ear! It was amazing!
It's a crazy experience if a tad scary!
Is the hyena feeding in Harar dangerous?
Yes, of course. Like a lot of things we do on our travels, it has risks. You don't sign any documents, there are no tourist tickets issued. It just happens by "the tree" on the backstreets on the edge of Harar. There is no real health and safety in place. But if you're up for it, DO IT. I highly recommend it.
Is it possible to take photos?
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.
Honestly if you end up in Harar in Eastern Ethiopia, do the hyena feeding!!! It's an amazing experience!
The hyena feeding is in Harar so you'll need to get a crazy minibus out to it - it may take a while but it's worth the journey!
From the capital city, minibuses run from Addis Ababa directly to Harar, but also to Dire Dawa with a connection to Harar. To organise the mini-bus your best bet is actually just talk to locals in the streets and in your hostel and they'll sort you out. It really is that simple. I booked my mini-bus around 1pm in Addis Ababa and got on my minibus at 8.30pm. The minibus journeys can be long, gruelling and dangerous so be prepared for that. It will be worth it when you rock into Harar. My mini-bus took 15 hours in the end (a story for another post) and cost 300 Birr (which is about 16-17 $US Dollars).
Admire the views of Harar at night before the hyenas come.
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.
What price is it?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
What happens at hyena feeding?
Well the story goes that at dusk/nightfall wild hyenas roamed the streets of Harar scavenging and looking for food. The locals decided to befriend them and try to tame them over the years and it's worked. The hyenas now turn up at dusk and are ready for a live show which they are the stars of. The hyenas, in their innocent lives, are unaware of how popular or cool their activity has become. So after years of nightly hyena feeding by the local "hyena men", Harar's people realised the potential of this odd occurrence and as such turned it into a kind of tourist pull. A way for the locals to make money, the hyenas to get fed and the backpackers to get up close and personal to hyenas. Everyone's a winner here.
What is 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 arrived around 7pm and got ready to feed the hyenas
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!
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.
There are 3 main things you will do in terms of positions when feeding hyenas in Harar, and here are the three:
1. Feeding the hyenas 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. The hyena will jump on your back, in my case he walked up my back digging his paws in and devouring the food. It's hard to stand still and stay calm when you think about what's actually happening! This for me was the craziest moment. He jumped right on my back onto my Northern Ireland flag I had draped round me. Then he bit the food right by my ear! It was amazing!
It's a crazy experience if a tad scary!
Is the hyena feeding in Harar dangerous?
Yes, of course. Like a lot of things we do on our travels, it has risks. You don't sign any documents, there are no tourist tickets issued. It just happens by "the tree" on the backstreets on the edge of Harar. There is no real health and safety in place. But if you're up for it, DO IT. I highly recommend it.
Is it possible to take photos?
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.
Honestly if you end up in Harar in Eastern Ethiopia, do the hyena feeding!!! It's an amazing experience!
About the Author:
For lots more cool travel articles like Hyena feeding ethiopia head to Jonny Blair's recommended travel site for tips on backpacking in ethiopia
No comments:
Post a Comment