Man Was Filming ‘Extraordinary Wildlife Encounter.’ Seconds Later, Hyenas Were Sprinting at the Camera (Exclusive)
During a trip to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Khalyl Warren was filming as a group of hyenas started sprinting at him
The experience was frightening and humbling, and it continues to stick with him today
Warren opens up to PEOPLE in an interview about the one-of-a-kind moment captured on video
Khalyl Warren believes he has a strong connection with animals — but during a recent trip to Botswana, things took a frightening turn.
Warren, a 24-year-old veterinary assistant from Chicago, had traveled to the Okavango Delta on a family trip. Though he was mostly there to enjoy his time with his family members, he tells PEOPLE the trip’s location “made the experience especially significant to me.”
“I was excited to see wildlife in its natural environment rather than in a clinic, sanctuary, or controlled setting,” he continues. “We were visitors in their environment, and our responsibility was to remain aware, respectful, and prepared to follow the guidance of people who understood the area.”
One evening, he and several family members were returning to their rooms at their resort after dinner. As they passed the resort staff’s cabins, they realized that something was not quite right: there was a pack of hyenas circling the resort.
“At first, it was difficult to understand exactly what was happening because everything unfolded so quickly,” he says, noting that he was initially filled with “excitement and curiosity” about their proximity to wildlife. But that soon turned into “fear and uncertainty” as the animals moved closer.
The staff started giving them instructions: not to run because it could cause the animals to chase after them, to take deep breaths, to remain calm and let the hyenas make their way through the area.
From what Warren could tell, a pack of hyenas appeared to be moving away from three lions that were pursuing them. But even though he had a sense that the hyenas were not particularly interested in him and his group, he says it didn’t make “the situation feel any less intense” when they started approaching them.
In a harrowing video he shared to TikTok in July, viewers can see Warren’s camera spiral out of control as the hyenas — their eyes glowing in the night — approach them.
“I was trying to document an extraordinary wildlife encounter. But as the hyenas moved closer, the purpose of the camera became unimportant,” he tells PEOPLE. “We were suddenly much closer to the action than we had expected.”
Khalyl Warren’s trip to BotswanaCredit: Khalyl Warren
After the camera stopped, Warren, listening to the instructions of the resort staff, stayed in his position and let the hyenas make their way by. He says he had to “consciously slow myself down” — controlling his breathing — because he knew that any sudden movements could make the situation far more dangerous.
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“Once the hyenas moved away, the intensity of the moment began to settle, but the experience stayed with me,” he says.
Several months out from the encounter, Warren says that one thing in particular has continued to stick with him: that brushes with wildlife “are not performances.”
“They are real situations involving animals that are responding to survival, territory, fear, and instinct,” he adds. “The encounter gave me an even deeper appreciation for wildlife and for the importance of respecting animals in their natural habitat. It reinforced the idea that people should never assume they understand an animal’s intentions simply because they are familiar with the species.”
Source: Nature