A hyena got into the boma next door to me. In the goat enclosure it killed one goat and broke the back of another with its’ powerful jaws. People woke up to the loud crying of the goats and looing of the cows. By the time people realized what was going on the hyena had fled. The two goats belonged to Yohana Wandai, my teacher who is away taking a course in catechetics at the Capuchin sister’s school at Sanya Juu on Mount Kilimanjaro. This is a tragedy for Yohana since his herd is so small.

It is not unusual for hyenas to find their way into villages at night and kill goats and sheep. Years ago, in the area of Loliondo to the North of us, hyenas were getting into house not carefully protected by a wicker door tied shut with leather straps. Their bone crushing jaws found exposed feet, legs and even heads. A number of people didn’t survive their wounds. This happened numerous times over the space of a few years and then stopped.