Hyena digging is a hunting technique, mainly used to hunt other animals, especially prey that are larger and difficult to kill directly. This technique is very effective for hyenas because the anus is a vulnerable part of the animal's body and attacking here can quickly incapacitate the prey.

In most cases, hyenas will choose to avoid humans because they know that humans may be a potential threat. . This fear makes hyenas less likely to actively attack humans, let alone use the high-risk method of anally digging.