Morning Commute in the Maasai Mara

Here in the Mara, my fellow researchers and I wake up in the dark and head out to catch our hyenas at their most active time – dawn. As such, we see a very different side of the Mara compared to what many tourists see. In the early light of golden hour, we see the animals just as they begin to stir from sleep or head home from an adventurous night. Whether they’re coming or going, we see our favorite Mara animals on their morning commute.

First we have the infamous Serena Camp leopard, slinking home from an evening out on the town. Regardless of how wild his evening was, he never has a spot out of place.

Of course in any commute, there are those who oversleep. Here we have the bat-eared fox still in its fluffy pajamas, sound asleep at home.

Next up is the lioness, stopping quickly at the local coffee shop to refresh herself after a long evening of hunting and bonding with her sisters.

Here come the Topi mothers eager to drop the little ones off at daycare.

The Guineafowl, always running late, aren’t afraid to fly their way through morning traffic in the fast lane. Watch out!

Not ones to complain, the wildebeest are experts at this commute. They travel along in seemingly endless groups and lines, happily munching on a breakfast of grass, grass, and more grass.

No morning commute would be complete without at least one aggressive driver. This hint of road rage is provided eagerly by lions the each morning.

Last, but not least, we find the hyenas. Quick to rise and get a start on their day, the cubs bound and play to wake up their tired muscles for their morning lessons in hunting, fighting, and mating behavior.