Getting to Harar in Eastern 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!
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).
Harar offers amazing views and hyenas come out at night.
It's a short walk to the hyena feeding in Harar.
What price is it?
Its costs about 100 birr each - 5 US dollars.
What happens at hyena feeding?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
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 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!
Then the hyena man bites a piece of wood and holds it in his mouth. Meat is put on the other end of it. Again the hyena rocks up, snatches it with its jaw and walks back.
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feeding the hyenas 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.
Is it possible to take photos?
Taking photos is fine - you can even watch if you're too scared! I'd say 50 Birr for a non-partaker is a fair sum (just under $3 US Dollars), but if you want to go lower then that's up to you. It's not like there are tens of tourists all hanging around taking photos of it. There will be a small group of people there only.
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!
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).
Harar offers amazing views and hyenas come out at night.
It's a short walk to the hyena feeding in Harar.
What price is it?
Its costs about 100 birr each - 5 US dollars.
What happens at hyena feeding?
When the sun sinks, these hyenas roam the streets and backpackers in the town can head out to feed them!
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 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!
Then the hyena man bites a piece of wood and holds it in his mouth. Meat is put on the other end of it. Again the hyena rocks up, snatches it with its jaw and walks back.
Here are the three main parts to hyena feeding:
1. Feeding the hyenas 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.
Is it possible to take photos?
Taking photos is fine - you can even watch if you're too scared! I'd say 50 Birr for a non-partaker is a fair sum (just under $3 US Dollars), but if you want to go lower then that's up to you. It's not like there are tens of tourists all hanging around taking photos of it. There will be a small group of people there only.
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!
About the Author:
For lots more ace backpacking articles like Hyena feeding ethiopia head to Jonny Blair's wonderful backpacking site for ideas on backpacking in ethiopia
No comments:
Post a Comment