Over and Out

It's been just about one month since I've left the Mara and my heart is heavy. But it's also full. I've had time to reflect on what this last year has brought me and to say that I'm overwhelmed is an understatement. I've met countless awe-inspiring people that have motivated me to aim high and work hard, taught me that it's never too late to try new things and start new hobbies, challenged me with thoughtful, engaging, and wonderfully complex conversations, and most of all provided me with lifetime friendships. Two such people are my co-research assistants for the year, Jessica and Erin (pictured below). I can't imagine this experience without them.

Enjoying the views from a popular picnic location in the Mara Triangle Conservancy (Pictured from left: Erin Weingarten, Katherine Steinfield, Jessica Gunson)

At Kichwa Tembo Lodge to give a presentation on spotted hyenas (Pictured from left: Katherine Steinfield, Jessica Gunson, Erin Weingarten)

Before moving to the remote Serena camp, I was preparing for the level of social isolation that usually goes hand in hand with living in a camp of six people. But in fact, I was welcomed with open arms into the Mara Triangle community where I had the privilege of meeting my amazing Fisi Camp family, fellow researchers, rangers and park management, local lodge staff, safari guides, photographers, film crews, and even tourists, all from different backgrounds but sharing one thing in common: our love for wildlife. Through these friendships, I honed my photography skills, I practiced Swahili at the conversational level, I learned so much about the various cultures and ethnic groups that call Kenya home, I became an amateur birder, and I had the pleasure of accompanying several of these individuals at their places of work to learn more about how a wildlife conservancy functions. For all of these "once in a lifetime experiences," I am eternally grateful.

However, nothing fills me with more gratitude for my year than the time I spent with the hyenas. When we tell people what we do, it's usually met with disbelief that we could be studying such an unpopular species, and generally we get made fun of a lot for our outspoken and undying love of hyenas... but holy cow! They. Are. Cool. Not every researcher can say they get to see their study species up close and personal not once, but TWICE daily. If you follow this blog, I'm sure you're aware of many spectacular hyena facts. But let me list a couple of my favorites. Hyenas are so incredibly intelligent! They can understand each clan member's rank in a strict linear hierarchy sometimes reaching over a hundred individuals. As Emily recently shared, mothers will go through hell to raise their cubs (giving birth through their pseudo phallus, painstakingly nursing their young all day, carefully teaching them the entirety of their territory, guarding their cub's place at the carcass while they eat, all the while keeping them out of harms way). And last but not least, they can eat virtually anything (so jealous). My last morning spent at the North clan den was bittersweet but it's time for the next round of research assistants to have the most amazing year!

While leaving the Hyena Project is hard, I'm looking forward to the future. I managed to avoid the polar vortex for another year and have happily accepted a position continuing work in a Savannah ecosystem in central Kenya. Cheers to an unforgettable year, and another fantastic one to come! I'll leave you with some of my favorite photos of the famous "Ugly Five" because if we're being honest, these guys are the cutest.

Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

Blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)

Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer)

Rüppell's griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) and African white-backed vulture  (Gyps africanus)

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta)