Written records indicate that spotted hyenas have been present in the walled Ethiopian city of Harar for at least 500 years, where they sanitize the city by feeding on its organic refuse. The city gates, meant to keep residents safe from enemy attack, have small hyena tunnels carved into them so that they may wander in and out freely. For some, Hyenas are wardens of the spiritual world, and they are fed camel meat to strengthen their journey into the spirit realm, where they chase away bad spirits. Feeding these charismatic cats of the wild, as the call to prayer ebbs from the distant mosques, is a close encounter I will not soon forget. November, 2023.
