Does anyone have any guesses as to why we are seeing so many articles regarding hyena attacks against humans lately as opposed to previous years?

During the drought there were so many fresh carcasses all over the place that the hyena had saggy bellys from having so much fresh meat to eat. Indeed in August they weren't even stopping to eat at many of the carcasses and just left them to the vultures.

Perhaps the wildlife deaths have now stopped with rain in some areas and the hyena are just following the cattle/goats home?

Any ideas?

Jan - I've been reading the stories of hyena attacks and have also been puzzled. My guess is that the growing human population is harvesting greater amounts of bushmeat and thus depriving the hyenas of their traditional prey choices. Not having any better alternative the hyenas are attacking livestock and humans. That's all I can figure...just an educated guess, though.

I think animals are just like us humans they realize there is a easier way to do things and they see humans as easy prey. I am sure not all of the hyenas would try this. When people or animals are real hungry they will do things they usually would not do. that's just my thinking.

The story of the man who died from a septic hyena bite, while protecting his son from attack, was very tragic. But an even more tragic part of the story, for me anyway, was that the man had sired 18 children. In my not too humble opinion...the booming human population is to blame for most of Kenya's troubles....disappearing wildlife habitat, increasing bushmeat poaching... killing gazelles, antelopes, wart hogs, giraffe (both for private consumption and for commercial profits)....destroying forests and watersheds. What are the predators left to eat after the humans wipe out all their food sources? Simple: livestock or humans.

The Narok County Council has given a free rein to the pastoralists in the Mara to use the reserve as their larder (a place to find meat).....the British scientific report on gazelles, giraffe, warthog in the Mara say there numbers have plummeted up to 95% in the last 15 years. All due to the park reserve looking the other way on bushmeat poaching by the Maasai. What are the lions to do for food. Simple: livestock and humans.

I met a United Nations Environmental Program worker on my last trip who said that due to fact that Kenya is growing in human population every year by 4 or 5 million..."there is no hope of a future for wildlife"...."and places like Tanzania have even higher human birth rate".

Without constraints on human population growth...(and the political leaders seem to be completely deaf on this subject) there is no hope for a future for wildlife in Africa, Europe, the US or anywhere else. This is what keeps me awake at night.

Agree with you 100% about the over-population, but I don't think Africa is ready to face this yet (particularly since it is so male oriented - women still have far fewer rights there than most countries do). I read in the paper about 5 years ago of a man in the Taita-Taveta area who had 11 wives and 67 children!!

I don't think it is only the Mara Council who have given free rein to pastoralists. I know at times KWS allows cattle in the parks, and though no-one has come out and said they are ordered to, I've read between the lines and found that it is because many of the Nairobi policitians own most of the cattle and order KWS to allow them in times of little food to forage and water in the parks (politicians not seeming to care about lessening the food and water supply for wildlife). When KWS finally does a sweep trying to get the cattle out of the park, it is only the poor herders (hired by the politicians) who is arrested.

I have a small amount of hope in the future. A lot of Kenyans who are the future of the country and politics have studied in the US and Europe. I most sincerely hope that this has opened their eyes and ways of thinking. Maybe - just maybe once the old short minded men and women running these wonderful countries leave their stained chairs - the new generation will save what is still left to save for the future of Africa. One can try and hope for the future.....