The Serengeti is a fantastic place to work. While we hash out project logistics on the porch of our house, herds of buffalo frequently wander through the yard or dwarf mongoose run from rock pile to rock pile.

From being here, I’ve learned so much about the resident wildlife and what it means to work in the field setting. The little things I hadn’t even considered have suddenly been brought to my attention. Things like how does the field team power their laptops when the house is not hooked up to the power grid? I found that the guys get power from solar energy during the day and run off a generator after nightfall. This requires advance planning for fuel (for the generator) and maintenance of solar panels.

Follow up:

Here’s another good question: What is the most dangerous animal in the Serengeti? Is it the lion, the top predator? Or perhaps the puff adder, a highly venomous snake? I was surprised to hear that most human deaths are caused by buffalo! This was most enlightening. After hearing this “fun fact,” I inferred that buffalo are highly aggressive and reactionary. I resolved that if I were to happen upon one, I should try to put as much distance or as many barriers between the animal and myself as I could.

As it happened, on my last full day in the park, I was offered a place in the vehicle for one last game drive. I enthusiastically agreed to be ready to leave the next day by 6 a.m. That morning Rachel Santymire and I got ready to leave our house, but frustratingly, a herd of buffalo had wandered nearby. Exercising caution, we waited for the herd to leave before heading out to the vehicle.

Unfortunately, Pete, another game drive passenger, hadn’t heard the buffalo and headed out into the dark morning with his headlamp to fetch us. As he rounded the corner of his abode, he came face to face with a huge black bull! Pete jumped in shock at seeing the huge animal in front of him. The bull snorted and seemed just as surprised to see a person suddenly appear before him. Luckily the big male stood in his tracks, giving Pete time to hightail it back to his house.

If this hadn’t happened, I don’t think the buffalo would have moved on for a long time. Luckily they did, and we were all able to rendezvous at the jeep for an incredible game drive. Check out the pics!

A pride gathered around their most-recent meal.

A lioness shuts her eyes on the Serengeti.