This book written by an Australian biologist describes his year in Harar, Ethiopia studying hyenas and their interactions with humans from the perspective of an anthropologist. The term used to describe this is interspecies relationships. In most parts of Africa, hyenas are feared and reviled as portrayed in “The Lion King”. In Harar and some other parts of Ethiopia hyenas and humans live a mutually advantageous life. While the book focuses on this , it also provides information on the animal’s

This book written by an Australian biologist describes his year in Harar, Ethiopia studying hyenas and their interactions with humans from the perspective of an anthropologist. The term used to describe this is interspecies relationships. In most parts of Africa, hyenas are feared and reviled as portrayed in “The Lion King”. In Harar and some other parts of Ethiopia hyenas and humans live a mutually advantageous life. While the book focuses on this , it also provides information on the animal’s biology, the human culture in Harar, the largest Muslim city in Ethiopia and life as a graduate student. I found the book very interesting as I am interested in all of these areas but readers should be aware that Harar is not typical of all of Ethiopia. When I was last in Addis Ababa for a meeting at the Horn of Africa Conference Center on the outskirts of the city, the staff refused to work at night because they were afraid of the hyenas. This probably reflects changes in urban culture from that of Harar where there is a ceremony feeding porridge to the hyenas to ensure a good year. The book is not too long and a relatively easy read.