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Hyena Pet
Hyenas are savage animals but when in captivity it can be just like other tame domestic animals. This is part of a photo series in which Pieter Hugo the photographer took with a group of wandering Nigerians. There were three different hyenas shown and apparently have quite a deep relationship with its owners. More photos are shown at Pieter Hugo website.
6 more pics of hyena pets in Nigeria after the jump.
Source: Pieter Hugo
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December 4th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
And you guys think boxer or rottweiler is for bad boys… these hyenas kick all your ass!
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
That’s so sad poor animal.
A wild animal like that should’nt
be chained up.
I say that looks like animal abuse.
March 24th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
[...] keep it in line. I wonder if it’s house trained…lol. I found a website that has some more pics of pet Hyenas. Their owners look like pretty tough [...]
May 20th, 2008 at 12:02 am
The bible says that we have dominion over every living creature! Read it in genisis!! It is not cruel to want to have a wild animal as a pet,it is our choice! If it is not for you,keep your opinion to yourself,’cause it really doesn’t matter anyway-does it?
June 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
genesis LOL are you stupid?
July 10th, 2008 at 11:01 am
You know guys.
I don’t want to bitch but every domestic pet started out as wild animals once until some humans decided to live with them. So I honestly don’t see the big deal in having a pet hyena as long as the animal’s still physically and psychically happy.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Tommy you are so incredibly stupid I don’t know where to begin.Animals were not put on earth for our amusement.Everything has a place.Take your outdated creationist views elsewhere.You do nothing but prove that Christians are the earths stupidest people.And if you think you have such a dominion over animals why don’t you go swim with some saltwater crocodiles or go try and play with a clan of hyenas or a pack of lions and find out just how much dominion you have?
July 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
The ability to turn a wild animal into a “pet” depends on that animal’s innate social structure amongst it’s own species. For example, domesticated wolves became dogs because wolves have a deeply-rooted pack structure that was much like the social structure of primitive humans. Wolves crave and will seek out company. A hyena’s pack structure depends on constant competition. Hyenas fight viciously amongst each other from infancy. A hyena would literally have to be taken moments after birth (these people doubtless killed the mother) to become even accustomed to living with humans, but that still doesn’t alter their instincts. A hyena could also snap a human femur like a dead twig. Notice almost all the hyenas are muzzled. And the guy who’s letting the small child climb on his hyena is just begging for certain trouble.
And Tommy, do you have a small penis or just a death wish?
August 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 am
lol at Anodraco pwning everyone.
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:37 am
First off, any animal when raised from birth has the potential to be a pet. I have seen pet bears that have been rescued, as well as a friend who had a pet cougar. Both people rescued the infant animals after the parents were killed. Hyenas have been used as pets for centuries, much like cheetahs. In fact, cheetahs have been documented as pets for over 5000 years, hyenas not far behind.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:03 am
message to orchid,please take ur racist veiws elswhere. this day and age you cant say things like that. or does that only apply to christians.?
October 20th, 2008 at 4:25 am
um, you know what tommy? i am a dedicated christan but it says no where that we are to use animals for those reasons. believe as the higher intelligence, it is our duty to PROTECT them and respect them because after all they are more obediant to god then we are. and everything does have a place and i dont think we should treat animals like that.
be smart and think about the bible before you preach it.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:28 am
and orchid, that comment was very biased and unwise.
until you know christianity you havent a right to say that.
October 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Tommy, what a complete bell-end you are. Bible-thumping cretin.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
hey, tommy, im a christian too but you are wrong. all things god made are equal
October 30th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
and orchid, that was biased, but i agree. however, if the animal is misplaced and the keeper allows a large running area with prey and other friendly animals closley related to th animal to keep it fit and happy, i think it’s fine and necessary for survival. many animals would be extinct by no wif it weren’t for captive breeding and protection programs
November 27th, 2008 at 1:38 am
blah blah blah… any animal can be domesticated instinct doesnt matter.. aslong as it has a strong dominant owner to keep it in line it wont matter… not sayin it will do well round others mind u hahaha!
November 30th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
to ps3
since when a boxer is considered to be a bad-ass dog? a boxer is neither as smart nor as powerful nor as trainable as a rottweiler. it should not be in the same sentence. It seems you dont know jack about dogs.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:25 am
[...] pitbulls are so 2000s, its all about hyenas now Hyena Pet [...]
February 7th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
The less you say the less your ignorance will be known.You all criticize Tommy for his views,but what he says seems obvious to me.Have you ever seen a hyena with a pet man?Of course not because it is nit the order in which God created things.So what Tommy says is valid.Your letters reak of hypocracy since you all probably have domesticated animals of some kind,or at the very least benefit from them.All domesticated animals did not start that way.Duh….I myself would like to see hyenas domesticated as they are wonderful creatures.Pet your dogs and feed your kitties,but please save your hypocracy just because someone does not choose the same animal as you.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Jordan,Animals are neither obedient nor disobedient.They respond to outside stimulus and react with there instincts.ie…fear hunger threats etc….They do not and cannot obey nor disobet God,as we can which would put them on a lower level than man.They are without conscience.What a twisted,new millenium view you have of christianity.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:27 am
These animals LOOK dangerous. Everything about it screams STAY AWAY!! Nothing about this animal looks freindly. Some humans don’t take heed to their natural instincts of look, but don’t touch and wonder why they are shredded to bits by such animals. John Credito, I agree, You can not put any animal on the same level as humans. Some can go right under us, but certainly not beside us or above us.
February 16th, 2009 at 7:16 am
this is the stupidest conversation i have ever heard (tommy and Orchid) freaking stupid, i side with tommy even though you shouldnt really use the bible to argue something this pathetic, but as for Orchid i just laugh because he sounds like every other atheist in this world. pissed off that they have nothing in this world but a drive for materialistic things and a chip on there shoulder for not beliving in something of a higher power. they would rther believe in this big bang theory. dont get me wrong both concepts are hard to swallow. first, you have this God that was always here and always will be, kinda blows my mind and then when we talk about Jesus it gets a little harder to grasp especially when trying to understand the trinity because seems like different beings but at the same time they are all one and then the holy spirit makes a play into it. Ok getting a little to involved but back to why it is even harder to belive a NON Creationist story. Lets start with looking at a Law of energy. No energy is lost or gained but merely transformed into another, so everything that was here has always been here which leads me to my next arguement. The big bang, so these two particles bump into each other, now keep in mind that space is not made yet so what supstance are these particles floating in. to continue is overkill but lets attempt it anyway, following the law with energy only being transferred means that these particle where incredibly because they held everything with in them, first imagine your dinner being compressed into something the size of a pinhead(smaller really but lets use this for the ignorance of orchid) now go bigger and compress your house or a state, The US, no the earth into the size of a pinhead. this seems rediculouse but scientist exspect us to believe that not our universe but our whole cosmos Known and Unknown to us is crammed inside a pinhead and floated around in nothingness. so to me it seems silly to give more faith to this gasses explostion then God.
February 16th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
as far as the biblical thing, to each his own. i really don’t see how the bible is outdated. it’s the biggest religion in the world anymore.
and as far as the hyenas being domesticated, i really don’t see anything wrong with that. as long as the animal isn’t harmed in any way and isn’t a threat to the neighbors (necessary precautions are taken and all that), i really see nothing wrong with domesticating them. personally, i want a cheetah some day. domesticating cheetahs seems to me a way to get them off the endangered list.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
To everyone that got sucked in to this argument about where we came from, lets focus on the real reason this started, Can or can’t we demesticate animals ? the answer is both yes and no, Mamals can be demesticated, but reptiles can’t be with out proper protection. The reason; in order to be domesticated first you need to have the brain power to decide ‘ to do, or not to do’ either enforced by fear or an act of good will, either way it is still a desission made. Animals that only function on insinct alone (reptiles) can not be domesticated simply because they do not have enough brain matter to grasp the concept. examples: all Mamal, babys need affection and and care, if it is a human that delivers this to them they should and most likely will be loyal. Reptiles Babies are normaly on thier own from the moment they hatch and are programed to survive ( a baby Croc will attack anything small enough that moves around it ) and to answer your bible questions. everyone has free will to believe what they want. The truth is the earth is a living planet and it is sick. We are mearly a pleg that is hear to destroy it. Think about it, when there was less people we lived off the land in peace because there was enough earth for us to consume with out interfearing with one another. Now we are getting over crowded and are attacking each other daily, the weather, earth qakes ect.(mother nature) is the earths defence system, much like our white blood cells fighting cancer. and like cancer we are going to kill our host eventually and die along with it. So if you want a Hyena for a pet or a crock in your yard go for it. Might as well be happy before you take your last trip be it to heaven , allha, limbo, Vahallah where ever you believe you go.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
OK HERE IS THE THING YOU SMART POEPLE. HERE IS AN IDEA . . . . LET ME PUT A CHAIN AROUND YOUR NECK AND BEAT YOU WITH A STICK AND LETS SEE IF YOU GONA LIKE THAT.
OF COURSE THE HYENA IS DOMESTICATED CAUS HES BEEN BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF THE POOR THING.
GIVE ME A CHAIN, A HUMAN AND LETS SAY A BASEBALL BAT AND ILL SHOW YOU HOW I CAN DOMESTICATE A HUMAN.
dONT BE STUPID POEPLE , OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE DOING TO ANIMALS.
April 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Whoa, firstly i ask how did this change from being a discussion about hyenas as pet dogs to a religious feud?
April 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
then secondly, tommy, you say that the bible says we have the right to inslave (dominate) animals. whoa, so have you actually read the bible? because if you have im sure your find in that wise and all knowing fantasy novel of yours that it condones rape, sodomy, appeasment, torture, revenge, violence and the list goes on. where do you get off? attempting to justify animal cruelty by referencing a book written 2000 years ago by a guy divinly inspired, isnt it curious that if i choose to go out into the street and began preaching morals and virtues saying i was gods son and i was a massiah i would probably be locked up for being a loon. oh and for those of you who are saying “dont be racist orchid” you need to go to a store and get a dictionary, christianity is not a race, its a fictional belief which alot of deluded people subscribe to. also dont call us atheists, im nothing theist. im somone who doesnt care for your jelous and pathetic deity dont try and give me a lable because of it. you disbelive the big bang theory? ok tell me as impossible as it seems for you to beileve it, what makes the bible so much more belivable? literally nothing, it doesnt had a shred of science to back it up, which makes me sad to know that such a magnitude of people have been indoctrinated by all that religious drivel and actually belive it.
As for having a hyena as a pet, im not sure if its possible for them to be domesticated. apparently zebras cant for some biological reason. i wouldnt want to risk having one of them snap and rip you leg off, just an opinion
April 19th, 2009 at 4:23 am
i dont think itd be bad at all if you trained it (the hyena etc.) the right way and didnt have other pets around, and please, no more religion stuff etc.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:11 am
dont remember who said it but any single mammal can be domesticated if u have raised it from a very young age and u are the one feeding it and as it hits puberty you do not mistreat or show you are weak it has the probability to be loyal most likely to only that one person whether it is aggressive or submissive to other humans is how u raise it but i bet it will be aggressive to almost any other animal unless it was raised with it I for one when i have a house of my own and a large yard will have a hyena pup ( very young ) n it will be my dog i will hunt, run, and socialize this animal to be completely comfortable and trusting with me. it will sleep by my bed and eat what i eat. period. Pits are supposed to be aggressive and dominate but that is how that exact dog has been raised have u ever watched a niggger beat his dog even as the mutha fuucker is punchin it the dog still looks at his Master with complete love and loyalty because he has fed and raised it and thats all it knows— Any single living creature is a product of its environment, humans and animals— not sure how many of you can really understand what that statement means
May 28th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Life is life, no matter what form it takes. The fact that man gets so worked up over ‘owning’ another form of life only shows how unfufilling man’s life must be. Over compensation much? It absolutely sickens me how much humans disregard life, just because it is not their same species. Throwing around life, such as dogs, as though they were mere accessories!
You really shouldn’t think yourself superior. Not only are you a completely different species, but no human could survive like an animal does if their prescious technology was taken from them.
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
seriously, Whats up with all the arguments about weather or not its okay for the africans to own a hyena? Its not like we have a choice, and even if we did, any one of those hyenas could take a person on two at a time if they had a problem with being under the care of one. trust me I saw a man who was being attacked by a 60 lb mutt who had a mussle, he came out with 12 stiches acrossed his face just from claws, on bites. The hyenas obvoiusly don’t care.
I think It would be wicked awsome to own a hyena. Besides you all are argueing about God, and how and what he says. but you fools never say what he says. I sit here and read you guys rip each other apart about What you think about God. frankly He Does not give a pile of crap about that or he would have smitten us all a long time ago. here is some liquid, actual stuff from the upper room! Gen. 1:26 NIV “Then God said, ” And let us make man in our own image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Now I’ll leave interpretation up to you because God wants you to want to understand him. But I think it is clear that he gave us all the earth whether we chose to be stupid and crule or not. as long as they charish and care for the hyenas there is nothing wrong with keeping one around.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Prove to me that man does not have dominion over animals.
Man is the dominant species on this planet. Whether you are Christian or atheist, you will agree with this. It is fact.
Atheists, especially, should have no problem with dominating animals. Natural selection demands that man run its rightful course as the dominant species.
I laugh at the cafeteria atheists who deny God yet act like they have compassion. Atheism demands domination of subordinate species. Either grow a pair or GTFO.
June 26th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
“you disbelive the big bang theory? ok tell me as impossible as it seems for you to beileve it, what makes the bible so much more belivable? literally nothing, it doesnt had a shred of science to back it up, which makes me sad to know that such a magnitude of people have been indoctrinated by all that religious drivel and actually belive it.”
The Big Bang Theory is a very strong affirmation of the Christian faith. You have just contradicted yourself. I expected better from someone who claims intelligent superiority yet you are just a regular “ole dumbass.”
What are you, 13? My Lord, your purpose on this Earth should be to shut the hell up. Your lack of knowledge is astoundingly bad.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:45 am
I think as long as it is in the animal’s nature to be social and packlike, then I do not find it wrong to keep animals such as hyenas for pets. Provided, of course, that the owners of said animals have the resources to care for them in a way that is not damaging to the animal. Letting a hyena loose in the house is fine, as it will always have a warm, safe place to sleep when it feels tired, but , at the same time, it will also need terrain to travel as well to assure that the animal does not feel confined and can maintain a sense of territory. I love these animals and have spent a lifetime researching them, and when I feel that I can adequately care for one I will most certainly take on the responsibly of it.
July 4th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I became a christian because I thought that licking my priest’s nut sack would promise me a direct pass to heaven, how ever these men, who have been blackened for their sins must believe me to be wrong.
Perhaps when I visit the land of the sinners, with the lord at my side, I may be granted the strength to destroy these lesser speices and there pet Hyenas, in the name of the lord almighty.
God speed my fellow Christians
July 16th, 2009 at 5:21 am
…….I wish I had one of those
“hey, bet my dog could kick your dog’s ass”
July 28th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Anodraco is retarded. They didn’t have to kill the mother. Ever seen kevin richardson and his hyenas? He takes weaker babies(that could die due to the competition) from their mom and the hyenas still perfectly tame.
August 12th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Everyone has commented against everyone else’s comments… It seems a little childish. Don’t try and stuff your views into each others faces and then scream when some one disagrees. Obviously these people found some way - whether you like it or not - to live with hyenas. As I have seen stated, it’s very similar to wolves. Hyena pack life may be different from wolves but they are SMART creatures, and this whole thing has NOTHING to do with Christianity or any other religion for that matter. If you can all READ you can see that the publisher of this SAYS how the animals seem to have strong bonds with the owners… And as for abuse…? The animals look in just as good if not better shape then the humans. They are alert, and obviously well-fed. The chains? Well DUH, hyena’s are strong! A simple rope wouldn’t work because the hyena would probably just chew threw it. And the muzzle? Uhm, ever heard of those stories of the tigers who kill people in zoos because they just want to play? They ARE wild beasts and they are incredibly stronger then any of us.. We can bond with them and share our lives with them just as we can do with any creature that has a shred of intelligence. But that doesn’t mean we are SAFE from them. Just as they are not safe from us. To Anodraco… Maybe they DID kill the mom. But they had the HEART and willingness and the soul to take the babies and raise them and give them a life, instead of leaving them to starve or killing them too. Even if it was just for protection, obviously the hyena’s give it. The animals may some day bite the hand that feeds but it’s only in their nature, and the humans willing to hold their hand out there and risk it are truly what we should all be able to think. Don’t fear and hate just because you don’t accept. That’s how wars get started. Just UNDERSTAND. You don’t even have to like it… But it’s not your way of life. If you don’t like what some one does, then do something the way you want and let them go on. As long as what they do doesn’t hurt others, why not let them go on as they do without worry of attack? Any hateful comments here are just a show of the worse side of humanity - stupidity, ignorance, intolerance, pride, prejudice, and spite. I think these pictures are just more wonderful and perfect shows of how humankind is able to not only overcome but BOND with nature. We don’t have to own everything or kill everything to rule it. Knowledge is the key life, and once we have that knowledge our world could know NO boundaries! Unfortunately… All we do is spend time fighting and arguing…. The only thing being worried about is the value of the next dollar or pound or whatever it is we get. Hmph.
August 31st, 2009 at 6:46 pm
hahahah hyenas are mad creatures leav it at that
September 12th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I wholeheartedly agree with Ceradwyn. And also, to all of these people claiming dominion over animals, have you ever heard of a symbiotic relationship? Just as some animals are aided by others of a different species, humans are aided by animals. Many people want a dog or cat because they like them, want their company, and in the case of dogs, like the protection that they offer. Hardly ever does a person want a pet simply to “own” something. That’s like saying rhinos like the birds that groom them because the birds belong to it. The wide variety of pets is due to the fact that people have the ability to freely form symbiotic relationships. The pet has easy access to food and decent care due to the human, and the human has their wishes of companionship satisfied. Also, it is true that without so much technology, humans would be one of the lower creatures in this world. And since we are all ‘creatures’ on this planet, if it wasn’t for the fact that no creature is as intelligent or more intelligent than we are, then we would probably have similar symbiotic relationships formed with us. I may be a bit young to be commenting on world issues like this, but I still feel a strong opinion on this.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:23 am
lol…. you guys are tards. entertaining tards i presume… everything is relative though
September 25th, 2009 at 8:44 am
aww hyenas r soo cute dey r wild but
der soo cute!
September 29th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Although I believe this arguement to be petty and childish, I may as well put in my five cents as well.
First of all, indulging into this theistic discussion, why is it that everyone is insulting everyone else’s religious beliefs? I’m christian, and I would have to say that this Tommy character is a fool. This arguement is being based on a book that was interpreted by man, and therefore, is flawed. And nowhere in this discussion is there even a place for biblical reference. We live in a multi-religious society, so why use one book as a reference? And even so, that reference is flawed. As far as many of the counter-arguements are concerned, all I have heard is discrimination based on creed, which I think makes you sound as unintelligent as those making religious justifications. Seriously people.
As far as being able to tame hyenas, this arguement that people have been domesticating animals for centuries is only half-true. What I HAVEN’T heard is the fact that, even if an animal can be domesticated, which isn’t always the case, that domestication is done by a process that takes, literally, thousands of years. We didn’t just put a dog on a leash and suddenly nullify it’s basic instinct. We literally bred the baser instinct out of them. But, people are trying to do this at an advanced pace today, which is a gamble. You can take a wild animal out of captivity, and it may never harm you, but that’s never a guarantee. In short, you’re playing Russian roulette when you take these animals out of the wild and expect immediate gratification.
That’s all I have to say. Argue or agree as you will.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Im really on the fence about this, I would want a hyena as a pet, but these pictures make it look like animal abuse, i love hyenas, and having one as a pet would make me happy for the rest of my life, i guess the verdict’s out on this one.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:42 am
People really come here to argue about this kind of crap? Thanks for the entertainment-all of you.