Hyena butter explained

Hyena butter is a secretion from the anal gland of hyenas used to mark territory and to identify individuals by odor. The gooey substance is spread onto objects within the territory of the hyena by rubbing their posterior against the object they mark.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Folk beliefs in some regions of East Africa state that witches would ride hyenas and use a gourd full of hyena butter as fuel for the torches that they carried through the night.^[4]

See also

• Deer musk
• Dog odor
• Territorial marking

Notes and References

1. https://books.google.com/books?id=m-8MAAAAIAAJ&dq=hyena+butter&pg=PP1 Livingstone's Africa: Perilous Adventures and Extensive Discoveries in the Interior of Africa
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=z74eAAAAIAAJ&q=hyena+butter With Forks and Hope: An African Notebook
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=HaaFlUw4goIC&dq=hyena+odor&pg=PA1 Chemical Ecology of Vertebrates
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=QGt-2rTFnjoC&q=hyena+butter Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa