A story of Abbas Yusuf living with hyenas!

The Dhaka Times Desk We know that hyenas frighten people. Especially at night there have been many cases of fainting at the sight of hyenas. But if that hyena is a human friend, then one has to wonder.

There is a storm in the world media about such an animal. Harar is one of the oldest cities in Ethiopia. The walled city is shrouded in darkness as dusk falls. Then the dilapidated houses were covered in darkness.

In the soft light of such a pitch-black evening, five hungry hyenas gather around a man sitting on the ground. Hyenas flap their bat-like ears in delight, their sharp jaws visible from afar. The reason is that it is time for their dinner. This is how National Geographic reporter Brian Lehman described a scene with hyenas in Harar, Ethiopia.

A man named Abbas Yusuf is surrounded by hungry hyenas. He is not at all nervous seeing those hyenas known as one of the fiercest animals. Rather softly calling the hyenas. Presenting some food from the basket to the hyena. Instead of attacking Abbas, the strange hyenas are eating the food from his hands.

Abbas is better known as the hyenaman to the residents of Harar, a small town that lives with those hyenas. Abbas's father, Yusuf Saleh, used to feed the hyenas with leftover food to save domestic animals from hyena attacks. The method is very useful for him. It has become a family tradition for the Abbass for the past 50 years.

Not Abbas, but the image of the whole city is Ames. No people in the city are afraid of these hyenas. Hyenas also do not attack any townspeople. Such remarkable coexistence of man and hyenas has made the city a popular tourist destination.

According to National Geographic photographer and reporter Brian Lehman, residents of this small town have been living side by side with hyenas for years. In the past, the people of the city, especially the children, were often attacked by hyenas. Then to get a solution, the residents of the area started leaving leftover food for the hyenas by breaching the city walls. That is why no one has been attacked even once in the last 200 years. Even children in the city are not afraid of hyenas.

Geographic reporter Brian Lehman visited Abbas one night from the hyena cave. He said that at first he was very hesitant about going to the hyena cave. But Abbas' understanding with hyenas is really surprising. In fact it would not take them even two minutes to kill Abbas. But the scene is really of a different nature, entering the hyena cave and walking around like Abbas Yusuf! It seems that he is wandering among the group of innocent goats!

There is no doubt that hyenas are ugly and ferocious animals. But the beauty that is hidden inside them can never be imagined. At least Abbas Yusuf and the group of hyenas have changed their ideas about hyenas!