Arrival into Harar in 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!
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).
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.
What price is it?
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 exactly do you mean by Hyena Feeding in Harar?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
An overview of what happens at the Hyena Feeding in Harar?
We walked down 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.
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. Feeding the hyenas hand into mouth.
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!!
Of the three, the mouth to mouth bit is probably the scariest. For a split second I stared into the hyenas eyes, which was a scary moment. While the hyena jumping on your back is just crazy!
Is the hyena feeding in Harar dangerous?
Don't worry - it's not that dangerous! They are not after you and they won't eat you. They only want the meat that you are displaying in front of them. Be calm and careful and don't react or shout at them of course. Just enjoy it and feed them. You'll actually find they're quite adorable despite their massive bite. When one jumps on your back you will never forget that moment.
Are photos allowed?
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!
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!
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).
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.
What price is it?
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 exactly do you mean by Hyena Feeding in Harar?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
An overview of what happens at the Hyena Feeding in Harar?
We walked down 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.
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. Feeding the hyenas hand into mouth.
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!!
Of the three, the mouth to mouth bit is probably the scariest. For a split second I stared into the hyenas eyes, which was a scary moment. While the hyena jumping on your back is just crazy!
Is the hyena feeding in Harar dangerous?
Don't worry - it's not that dangerous! They are not after you and they won't eat you. They only want the meat that you are displaying in front of them. Be calm and careful and don't react or shout at them of course. Just enjoy it and feed them. You'll actually find they're quite adorable despite their massive bite. When one jumps on your back you will never forget that moment.
Are photos allowed?
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 ace travel articles like Hyena feeding ethiopia head to Jonny Blair's recommended travel blog for ideas on backpacking in ethiopia
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