India, March 12 -- The enigmatic spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), the second-largest land carnivore in Africa after the African lion, has emerged as an unlikely 'eco-warrior' in Ethiopia's second-largest city, according to a new study the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.

The predators, who also scavenge, are preventing over a thousand tonnes of carbon emissions annually in the rapidly urbanising the city of Mekelle, a statement by the university noted.

The hyenas consume organic waste that would otherwise rot. This saves the city over $100,000 in waste management costs while reducing the significant sanitation risk associated with routine roadside dumping.

Over one million chickens, goats and sheep are slaughtered in people's h...