Pieter Hugo, Jatto with Mainasara, Ogere-Remo, Nigeria- The Hyena Men Series II 2005-2007

His photos of “hyena men,” the Gadawan Kura, for example, bring home the merciless reality of the sprawling big cities in the Global South. Within the space of two years, Hugo visited the “hyena men” twice and accompanied them during their work. They lived in a small apartment in a slum-like suburb of the Nigerian capital Abuja along with three hyenas, a number of pythons, and four baboons. They roamed the towns and cities together, displaying their animals on the streets and selling traditional powders, potions, and amulets. Instead of depicting the performative spectacle they created, Hugo captured the tense dynamics between the young men and their animals.