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!
To get to Harar the mini bus can be a bit of a nightmare! Use local buses and you'll be able to do it no problem.
Harar offers amazing views and hyenas come out at night.
Walk to the hyena feeding in Harar - it's the quickest way.
What price is it?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
What is hyena feeding?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
What happens at hyena feeding in Harar?
We walked down to feed hyenas.
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!
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!
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feed them mouth to mouth.
2. Hand into mouth.
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!
How dangerous is hyena feeding in Harar?
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 it's fine! It's easy to spot a tourist here. Also - if you're scared you don't need to do it - you can just go there and watch it from a distance - no problem. If you do this, it's honourable to give an amount of money (at your discretion) to the "hyena man", as he's working for you and putting on a show.
Honestly if you end up in Harar in Eastern Ethiopia, do the hyena feeding!!! It's an amazing experience!
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!
To get to Harar the mini bus can be a bit of a nightmare! Use local buses and you'll be able to do it no problem.
Harar offers amazing views and hyenas come out at night.
Walk to the hyena feeding in Harar - it's the quickest way.
What price is it?
The price is about 100 Birr per person. 5 or 6 US dollars
What is hyena feeding?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
What happens at hyena feeding in Harar?
We walked down to feed hyenas.
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!
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!
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feed them mouth to mouth.
2. Hand into mouth.
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!
How dangerous is hyena feeding in Harar?
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 it's fine! It's easy to spot a tourist here. Also - if you're scared you don't need to do it - you can just go there and watch it from a distance - no problem. If you do this, it's honourable to give an amount of money (at your discretion) to the "hyena man", as he's working for you and putting on a show.
Honestly if you end up in Harar in Eastern Ethiopia, do the hyena feeding!!! It's an amazing experience!
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