This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
Deep in the interior of Abuja, Nigeria, lies a village where the ordinary and the wild coexist. Meet the Hyena Boys, a group of men who have been taming wild animals for generations.
According to Baba Mohammed, an elder in the village, the tradition of taming wild animals began with their ancestors and has been passed down from generation to generation.
‘I saw my father working. I saw what he was doing and I learnt everything from him,’ Baba Mohammed explains.
The Hyena Boys' skills are showcased in a mini documentary titled ‘The Mysterious Nigerian Men Who Tame Wild Beasts.’ The video features a group of men effortlessly playing with snakes, baboons, and muzzled hyenas.
‘They call us the ones with baboons, hyenas, and snakes,’ Baba Mohammed says.
Mufasa, Baba Mohammed's second-born son, has been taming wild animals since he was five years old. He explains that hyenas, especially, should be young so that they can grow around familiar faces.
‘Since he was little, I have been feeding him, giving him meat and medicine, and he got used to me,’ Mufasa says, referring to his hyena, James.
For the Hyena Boys, taming wild beasts is not just a tradition but also a source of income. They sell the animals to the rich who keep them in cages for their kids.
‘We sell them to the rich who keep them in cages for their kids. When their kids see them, they get happy,’ Mufasa says.
According to Baba Mohammed, they can earn from as much as Sh310,000 to Sh827,000 depending on what they are asked to do.
