frodobee:
If they never picked your pocket while watching these performers then you never had a childhood in the Nigerian streets- you be ajebo!

If they ever picked your Pocket whilst watching these Hyena performers, Snake handlers and the Knife handlers wether as an adult or a Kid, then you no get STREET CREDIBILITY..


Pick which person pocket?! When the Money dey inside socks..

Dronedude:
booked stay clear


*Modified*

There are two things I can explain that makes this possible, which is jazz and guts. This wild animal have a mind of their own, which is not a friendly intent, believe me. #Whenstuntsgoesbad.

Krak:
The following are the accounts of photographer Pieter Hugo on his trip to Nigeria to investigate the Hyena Handlers.

The Naraative and pictures are from his book The Hyena and Other Men


[img]http://4.bp..com/-C3Tlj4UG1Fg/VCFXzIfZLMI/AAAAAAAACg0/sYifLvcN9MU/s1600/the-hyena-and-other-men-pieter-hugo-6.jpg[/img]

It all started with the picture above. A friend had emailed photographer Pieter Hugo this bizarre image taken on a cellphone in Lagos, Nigeria. The caption read, ‘The Streets of Lagos’, and a newspaper publishing the photo reported that the men were bank robbers, body guards, drug dealers and debt collectors.

The image went viral online and the myth of these street toughs in Nigeria with Hyenas grew. Pieter was captivated and knew he had to learn more.

Through a journalist friend, Hugo tracked down a Nigerian reporter, Adetokunbo Abiola, who said that he knew the Gadawan Kura as they are known in Hausa (a rough translation: ‘hyena handlers/guides’). A few weeks later, Pieter was on a plane to Lagos.

CityNG:
All I see is desperate Men, child abuse and animal abuse.

White Man puts a Tiger on a Bicycle.. Makes a Bear jump through hoops.. Make Dolphins do synchronised swimming its called the Circus, Performers, Animal whispering, e.t.c..

White Man takes his Baby into a Crocodile pit.. its interesting..



Black Man does same - Desparate, Child Abuse, Animal abuse..








WHY ALWAYS THE BLACK MAN?

BlackBaron:
I remember seeing this in Lagos.

Things took a nasty turn later though when someone alleged they used the animals to intimidate and steal from people.

The guys had to abscond, but one of the hyenas was cornered, then killed with sticks and stones. It had a mouth guard on.

This happened in Festac.

Krak:
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.

I agreed to travel with the animal wranglers to Kano in the northern part of the country. One of them set out to negotiate a fare with a taxi driver; everyone else, including myself and the hyenas, monkeys and rock pythons, hid in the bushes.

When their companion signalled that he had agreed on a fare, the motley troupe of humans and animals leapt out from behind the bushes and jumped into the vehicle.

The taxi driver was completely horrified. I sat upfront with a monkey and the driver. He drove like an absolute maniac. At one stage the monkey was terrified by his driving. It grabbed hold of my leg and stared into my eyes. I could see its fear.

Pecca:
I'VE SEEN 'EM AT CLOSE QUARTERS MYSELF. YES! THEY ARE VERY MUCH AROUND AND AMONGST US!

Fairgodwin:
I didn't see this on TV. I wasn't told the story. I never read it on newspapers.
I witnessed it LIVE!! If you've lived in Lagos or from Lagos, things like this are common occurrence to us.
I was in secondary school back then, and if you've lived or schooled in a place called Agege before (in Lagos) you will know what I'm saying.
We used to go watch these guys perform with their hyenas after school hours; with their many dreaded looking hyenas and snakes. But the only bad thing is, your things could get missing right there in your pocket when you're carried away; whether it was charm or pick pockets, we wouldn't know. Phones and other things like wallets easily gets missing; and since phone was such a luxury I couldn't afford back then, I would go with just #20 or #50 in my pocket (my transport fare, if e like make e miss, I go trekk). It was so much fun and 'fear' at the same time, back then. Because sometimes they deliberately release the animals to chase you. And you know what? those guys could make the snakes disappear and reappear; but in most cases, they usually seal the mouths of the hyenas with a kind of metal protector.

#mytruestory

MadCow1:



Has the thought that the performers and the pick-pocketers are not in the same crew?!

Thats the Pick-pockets are just opportunists that use their street shows to strike.

Liekiller:
Very unique and fascinating! I have seen these pictures before, but I think they are a few years old? Anyone know if these guys are still around, and where?

Kimoni:
I feel for all the wild animals that have turned to household pets overnight, how can man think of chaining hyenas, which man will agree to live in the wild??

PAGAN9JA:
[size=18pt]The Hyena (KURE) is a sacred animal in Hausa Religion. (white Hyena)[/size]

[size=20pt] @ bolded: it's Kura not Kure [/size]