The Malawi terror beast refers to a possibly

rabid Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vio ...

spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...

which killed at least three people and severely injured 16 others in the central

Dowa district Dowa is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The capital is Dowa. Geography The district covers an area of 3,041 km². and has a population of 556, 678. The capital city, Dowa is home to 5,565 people. Dowa the city is about 38 ...

, some from

Lilongwe Lilongwe (, , ) is the capital and most populated city of the African country of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020 that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in th ...

, in 2003.

History

Attacks

The incidents occurred in 2003. A

was reportedly infected with the

rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...

virus and began displaying the typically concerning symptoms of the disease, soon developing into a more deranged and deadly beast. After being seen near the central Dowa district, at least 4,000 people fled from the area (and from at least four nearby villages) to seek refuge at a community hall located inside the district headquarters. The hyena would terrorize several heavily populated areas; attacked survivors would bear life-altering injuries and serious disfigurement, ranging from hands being chewed off to losing their ears, eyes, fingers, toes and feet during their respective struggles, in addition to various bite wounds and scratches. One woman reportedly had her lips and nose bitten off by the animal. One local eyewitness reported a similar 2002 incident, stating that the attacks in 2003 mirrored a previous case of a rabid spotted hyena—one that had displayed similarly concerning behaviors. This hyena was ultimately responsible for the deaths of five people, and the maiming of at least 20 more. Wildlife officials positively identified the beast as a rabid spotted hyena, at which time it was tracked, located and shot by game rangers and

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

police; killing the hyena was for the public’s immediate safety as well as to put the hyena out of its own misery.

References

Carnivoran attacks Hyenas 2003 in Malawi Man-eaters {{Malawi-stub