Harar, Ethiopa - the city where kids feed and befriend wild hyenas

A long standing tradition in Harar sees residents feed hyenas every night

In the Ethiopian city of Harar, hyenas are much more friend than foe.

The animals that usually strike fear in any human they come across have become a tourist attraction in the Ethiopian city.

The tradition dates back to the 19th century, when the farmers began offering hyenas food to stop them eating their livestock.

The animals appear to have developed a relationship with residents over time, as one can be seen taking meat from a young girl.

The men who seem most accustomed to the animals even let the hyenas pick meat from their own mouths.

"If we stop for a while the hyena would get hungry and they might destroy our property or attack our goats and cattle and eat them," one farmer said.

Another said that feeding the hyenas had religious significance, as a certain porridge they feed them informs farmers of that year's weather.