Hello from a new hyena blogger

Hey there hyena-fans! This is Camille Yabut, the current research assistant at Serena Camp in the west side of the Mara. I was told that, before we start our lengthy and hopefully enjoyable relationship, I should start off by introducing myself to all you lovely people. So, here we go, my obligatory intro post, which I'll try to trim down to the basics so that we can get into the stuff that's actually interesting.

I graduated from University of California, Davis in 2007 with a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, emphasis on Wildlife Biology. Much to my dismay, I ended up working at a corporate law firm for the two and a half years following graduation, rather than actually using the degree I'd worked so hard on. Finally (and hopefully before I'd completely sold my soul), last year I decided that I'd had enough and it was time to go back to doing what I loved, so I started looking into a) grad school, or b) a fieldwork job. In the midst of all of this, I got the job posting for the RA position with the MSU Hyena Project through the UCD WFCB alumni listserve. I was so excited to hear about an opportunity like this that I leapt to apply (ok, fine, so I more or less attacked the posting, sunk my teeth in and refused to let go... I occasionally wonder if I got the job just through sheer persistence).

So, lucky for me, Kay decided to give me a chance and here I am. I arrived in Kenya in early February, spent a few days tearing around Nairobi, and then as luck would have it, arrived for the first time in the Mara on my birthday (is that an awesome birthday gift or what?). I've been here for about 3 months now and I'm still loving it just as much as I did when I first got here.

Anyway, I've been lagging a little on the blogging (yeesh, a 3-month backlog of stories to share) but I'll try to actually start getting a post in here and there. Can't let Kenna and Andy have all the fun!

That should cover it, right? I promise the next time you hear from me, hyenas will actually feature. Take care 'til then!