Pieter Hugo - 'Gadawan Kura' - The Hyena Men

The idea for this series of images stems from a photograph taken with a mobile phone through the window of a moving car in Lagos, Nigeria. The image was then texted to Pieter Hugo by his friend. Only a few days later the same image appeared in a South African newspaper, where the hyena handlers were purported to banks robbers, drug dealers, debt collectors and body guards. The photo taken from the moving car was of a group who have come to be known as 'Gadawan Kura', or hyena handlers. They are in fact urban 'circus' performers who put on animal handling shows in city centres to earn a living. They are an economically marginalised group who live on the outskirts of Lagos in shanty towns. The 'Gadawan Kura' are all related to each other and it is a tradition that has been passed down through many generations. It is a practice that once took place in rural areas, but with the contemporary pressures for urban migration, now finds itself transposed in city centres. The practice may seem very out of place in the urban sprawl of Lagos, set amongst pot-holed roads and choking autocycles; the absence of rural mud huts may shock some Europeans. However, the purpose of the series is not to produce romantic images of the 'tradition' and 'culture' of 'Africa', but rather to highlight the coexistence of traditional practices in the 'modernity' of urban Lagos. The growth of cities has not led to the demise of tradition, but instead both tradition and modernity exist side by side in a strange amalgam. The idea of this is displayed in Hugo's imagery.

As Hugo notes himself, the Gadawan Kura display a strange imagery which has both 'urban and wild elements'. What the images highlight is the new trend of 'rurbanisation ', where migrants continue their rural practices in modern cities and towns. Rural migrants upon reaching cities will often find themselves in a situation of economic marginalisation. Since urban migration has not been met by a large enough rise in employment opportunities, many have to earn a living through practices like those of the 'Gadawan Kura'.

The aim of Hugo was not to highlight the persistence and shackles of 'primitive' traditions, but rather to provide a commentary on the broader economic situation where hyena handling is the only viable economic opportunity for survival. Many may question or dislike the treatment of the animals in the images. However, the need to capture the animals rather poses the question of why the men are forced to catch the animals in the first place. It is a series which rather looks at economic marginalisation and poverty.

As Hugo poses, why is Nigeria so economically marginalised and why is the world's sixth largest exporter of oil in such a state of disarray?

Channel 4 Unreported World documentary, Nigeria's Killing Fields