Early on in Africa Central Television’s brilliant documentary “The Hyena Man,” we see the actors interact with a range of dangerous wild animals, including baboons, hyenas and poisonous snakes. Their audacious feat was performed not on a glittering stage in Las Vegas, but in the crowded streets of Nigeria. It’s part of a proud tradition passed down through generations, and the source of huge controversy among animal rights activists around the world.
In their off-season, these men till the land and trade scrap metal to survive. But when it’s show time, they’ll travel through Africa’s most populous country, mesmerizing crowds of thousands. This traveling circus thrives on potentially dangerous relationships between humans and animals. Each performance is a blend of fantastic spectacle and gripping suspense; after all, audiences are well aware that deadly attacks can strike at any moment.
Animal shows are cleverly used as an enticing tactic to advertise a real family business: herbs and medicines. The more dramatic the animal show, the bigger the audience. With a larger audience, their drug sales are stronger.
The touring troupe has had a reputation for mystery over the years. Many Nigerians believe that these beings possess special powers that allow them to interact with such grace with the most menacing members of the animal kingdom. In fact, her skills are the culmination of a tradition crafted over generations. This is the tribal tradition in which they were born and they start their education at the age of 10. Still, their lifestyle was not without close encounters, as evidenced by the numerous scars on the forearm of one of the baboon trainers in the film.
Critics, meanwhile, found Hyena Man’s work little exciting or entertaining. To them, the act of uprooting wild animals from their habitat and recruiting them into roadside circus performances is needlessly cruel and disruptive of the natural order.
The Hyena Man takes us inside this subculture and introduces us to the performers who have dedicated their lives to continuing this unusual tradition.
Directed by: Russell Bergh
