Hyena Men of Nigeria has to be seen to be believed. Photojournalist Pieter Hugo was first turned on to the Hyena Men when a friend emailed him a cell phone cam image taken in Lagos, Nigeria of a group of men walking down the street with a leashed hyena. He found a Nigerian reporter who was able to arrange a meeting with the men, locally known as the “Gadawan Kura” (”hyena handlers/guides”).

Over the course of two trips to Nigeria Pieter managed to shoot some amazing photographs of the Hyena Men as they became comfortable with him and his lens. You can read the whole story behind Pieter’s work with the group of Hyena Men, here’s a quick bit…

The spectacle caused by this group walking down busy market streets was overwhelming. I tried photographing this but failed, perhaps because I wasn’t interested in their performances. I realised that what I found fascinating was the hybridisation of the urban and the wild, and the paradoxical relationship that the handlers have with their animals - sometimes doting and affectionate, sometimes brutal and cruel. I started looking for situations where these contrasting elements became apparent. I decided to concentrate on portraits. I would go for a walk with one of the performers, often just in the city streets, and, if opportunity presented itself, take a photograph. We travelled around from city to city, often chartering public mini-buses.

Head over to his site to view his full collection of Hyena Men photos and make sure to click around to his other galleries; the guy is supremely talented.