A hyena roams a residential area in Juba, prompting plans by wildlife authorities to relocate the animal to its natural habitat. – Courtesy Photo

The Ministry of Wildlife Conservation says the hyena seen roaming in a residential area of Juba on Wednesday night is owned by a private individual and will be relocated to its natural habitat.

A video that circulated widely on social media showed the animal moving along Ministries Road near the J1 area.

Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, the Director General for Wildlife Conservation, General Khamis Adiang, said he immediately dispatched a team after seeing the video online.

He said wildlife officers traced the animal and found that it belongs to an individual who has been raising it since it was a cub.

“It was found that the hyena has been brought up in a house somewhere there and is owned by one of the individuals living in that area. So, I told them to get in contact with him and convince him that we will take the hyena from him and go and release it in any of the natural parks around Juba here,” he said.

Gen. Adiang did not reveal the identity of the individual keeping the predator.

“I believe it can get a vulnerable person like a child or a woman or a sick person, it can harm him. Because it is dangerous, it’s not advisable to rear a predator, I mean a carnivorous animal in the house,” he said.

According to the wildlife official, authorities are engaging the owner to voluntarily surrender the animal so it can be relocated to a protected area where it can live in its natural environment.

He warned that keeping predators such as hyenas in residential areas poses a danger to both the owner and the public.

“It is not advisable to rear a predator; I mean a carnivorous animal in the house. First of all, it is costly, it needs meat. If you feed a hyena with grass, and it is dangerous at the same time for the children and for the members of the family. That’s why I told them to convince him so he can come to the office today and we reach to a conclusion that we will save the hyena and save them as well,” he stated.

The wildlife chief said South Sudan remains rich in wildlife and that animals can be found in many areas around Juba and across the country.

He added that reports have indicated the presence of a leopard and its cub around the Juba International Airport area at night.

On whether it is legal to keep wild animals, Gen. Adiang explained that permits may be issued for certain non-dangerous species under strict conditions, including proper enclosures, veterinary care, and regular monitoring.

However, he stressed that dangerous predators such as lions and hyenas are not suitable for private ownership.