Ethiopian researchers have found that scavengers, like hyenas, may be helping to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes a year in Ethiopia. The study found that while meat waste is expensive to dispose of and produces carbon as it decomposes, scavengers like these animals act as waste disposal teams when they eat waste meat, recycle nutrients and prevent disease spread. They found that these animals processed approximately 5,026 metric tons of organic waste annually, saving authorities around $100,510 per year and preventing approximately 1063.34 metric tons in CO emissions. The main scavengers found in the Mekelle region are spotted hyenes (Crocuta crocuta), African wolves (Canis lupaster), hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus), and stray dogs. The researchers also noted that while scavengers are often stigmatized as unpleasant creatures, they also play a vital role in ecosystems cleaning up food left over by humans. However, this conservation effort is only limited if scavengers and humans can learn to coexist with human populations.