Mmmmm, You Look Yummy !!

Yes, I was in the enclosure with this Hyena!!! This was at Jungle Cat World in Orono, Ontario, Canada. This is a "Rescue" Zoo which takes in exotic animals who have nowhere else to go and have been treated badly by humans. These particular Hyenas were not abused, but did require a new home.

This is Shenzi, a Striped Hyena (Hyaenas Hyaynas) born 7 April 2011. Striped Hyenas are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
The sisters at this Zoo were both born in Parco Faunistico Le Cornelle in Italy and raised by humans. The Striped Hyena is easily tamed and can be fully trained, especially when young. Although the Ancient Egyptians did not consider them sacred, they supposedly trained them for use in hunting. Both Shenzi and her sister Bonzai, are extremely friendly. They didn't mind being touched by us so long as something yummy to eat was readily available. I fed Shenzi a piece of Mango, and she first proceeded to suck as much of the juice out of it while it was still in my hand prior to chewing it. Being with her was an amazing and delightful experience.

In the wild, these hyenas are found throughout North and East Africa as well as the Middle East and parts of India. They are now extinct in Europe and on rare occasions can be spotted in Anatolia, Turkey. It is often hunted and poisoned throughout its range , and although it has a fairly large population, it is scattered over a large area and often isolated from other populations.

Hyenas are not members of the canid (dog) or felid (cat) families. They are so unique they have a family of their own - Hyaenidae. These magnificent animals are sometimes called the "scourge of the Serengeti" but they play an important role: Clean-up crew!!

The Hyena's back slopes down from their high front shoulders. Their fur is long and shaggy (and I found it to be very rough and straw-like to the touch) and they have a crest of fur along their backs which they can raise to make themselves look larger when threatened. The Hyena will feign death when attacked, but they are far from cowardly. In disputes over food, it has been known to stand it ground with larger predators. True to their scavenging nature, they eat mammalion carrion whenever possible - leftovers from other predator's prey. They have massive jaws which help them to crush and swallow bones, teeth, horns and hooves. All the body parts which other predator's leave behind. Only the horns, hooves and hair will be regurgitated. Striped Hyenas will also eat small animals, fruit and insects.

Their haunting laughter-like calls inspired the idea in local cultures that they could imitate human voices and call their victims by name. They are also associated with divination and sometimes thought of as tools of witches and demons. In African folklore, witches and sorcerers, are thought to ride Hyenas, or even turn into them.