Spotted hyaenas are exploited for tourism, being fed by hand, shown on exhibition walks, or having their hair and skin collected for talismans or witchcraft.
Because the spotted hyaena is a large, common carnivore in many parts of Africa, it is a valuable resource for safari companies and is considered an important part of the tourist industry. In at least two locations in Ethiopia, live, wild spotted hyaenas are utilized by locals for tourism.
Tourists pay to feed the hyaenas by hand, and some believe that the hyaenas take away bad spirits and that feeding them will cure various ailments. In Nigeria, local people earn money by keeping spotted hyaenas and showing them to spectators on exhibition walks.
Hair and scraps of skin are often collected from dead animals and are used as talismans. In several areas in Tanzania, spotted hyaenas and their body parts are utilized for witchcraft.
• Image | © Tambako The Jaguar, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-ND 2.0)
• Sources | (Bohm & Höner, 2015; Kruuk, 1972; Law, 2004)
