Speaking of Hyenas

BLANTYRE, Malawi - Police and wildlife rangers tracked down and killed a rabid hyena that mauled to death nine people and injured 15 in rural Malawi, officials said Wednesday. Full story.

The school where I taught (in Balaka) was several hours away from the site of the attacks. Our students were terrified of hyenas, mostly because hyenas are thought to be evil spirits from the underworld. Malawians are very superstitious. Our town's entire market (about the size of three city blocks) was moved from one side of the street to the other because someone found evidence of witchcraft on the original site.