Prey of Peri-urban Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in Southeastern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

In Tigray, regional state of Ethiopia, spotted hyenas are sources of conflict with livestock-owning people. The present study was conducted in southeastern Tigray to investigate diet and economic impact of hyena predation on livestock. To obtain information about the actual diet of hyenas, hyena droppings were collected in the field. A total of 180 hyena droppings were collected, washed, hairs extracted and were then compared with a prey species hair reference collection. Economic impact of livestock predation was investigated through household survey with randomly selected households. The species, age, number and sex of livestock killed by spotted hyena were recorded. Annual loss due to livestock depredation was 2.2 per household in the village, with an estimated total commercial value of about US$ 6,116. Hyenas attack livestock exclusively at night and solitary. Of the respondents 97.5% indicated predation exclusively solitary. Attacks were both day and night times preferring small livestock like goats and sheep as well as donkey. Over 97.5% of respondents in the village reported that they faced problems of depredation. The extent of the loss varies greatly between farmers. 97.87% of the droppings were identified of which donkey; cattle, sheep, goats, mule and horse accounted 84.66%. Predation on livestock seemed to be of great economic importance and was more a problem in the village. Spotted hyena preyed mainly on domestic animals may be due to the reduction of wild prey species in the area