{"id":39866,"date":"2015-09-02T09:44:52","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T16:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/?p=39866"},"modified":"2015-09-02T09:53:34","modified_gmt":"2015-09-02T16:53:34","slug":"breaking-the-mold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/breaking-the-mold\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking the Mold"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DAMLCSSH0828\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We had landed just a couple of hours before after an interesting 28hrs of travel. Settled in our tents, had a meal and assigned a vehicle, out on our first drive we went. Eyes wide open, minds still spinning, I know I wasn’t exactly in a photographic state of mind. All I can assume habits took over because some of it is still a blur. We emerge from the brush to Topi, Zerba, Elephants and the roar of a lion welcoming us to the Mara. We’re literally hitting the ground running! With no clue what we’re heading for, I didn’t even have a camera out yet. I was just along for the ride. <\/p>\n

\"DAMLCSSH0477\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then I hear we’re heading to a Spotted Hyena den. I’d only seen them briefly on my last visit to Africa but being selected as the first critter we were to focus in on now we’re at the famous Mara had me scratching my head. But like I said, at the moment I was just along for the ride. The sun was getting low and the afternoon thunderstorm made the light dark and moody. Now I’ve never been to a hyena den so had no clue what was coming up. All I had in my mind of a Hyena is the photo you see at the top. That goofy looking, vicious mannered hyena. Then there is my warped sense of humor with my mind wondering off to Hardy Har Har!<\/p>\n

\"DAMLCSSH0778\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then we pull up to the den complex and my mind’s a scramble! I see adults, subadults, old pups and a new pups, all above ground and like most critters of the Mara, could care less we’re in their lap staring at them through long lenses. Within a moment I have the D4s<\/a>\/800mm<\/a> on the Zenelli<\/a> shooting away! It’s like someone had slapped me on the side of the head and said wake up (no, it wasn’t Sharon as she was placed in another Landi but it would have helped). I had a Pavlov’s Dog reaction when I saw the Hyena pups popping around, it kicked me into San Joaquin Kit Fox mode as I’ve spent so many weeks at their dens over the decades.<\/p>\n

\"DAMLCSSH0358\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a MARVELOUS way to start the safari! Nothing is a celebration of life like a den site and the Hyena were no different. They were great! The pups were a hoot to watch. There was no doubt which was the Alpha, the runt, who caused trouble and who went with the pack. As it turned out in my mind, we didn’t spend EVEN enough time at this den site and in fact, we didn’t visit it again during our ten days which now really bums me out. As I went through all my images, some of my favorites were from this very first stop on safari. There could be many reason for this but I think the main one is the most obvious. Making the uncommon from the common, simply breaking the mold!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We had landed just a couple of hours before after an interesting 28hrs of travel. Settled in our tents, had a meal and assigned a vehicle, out on our first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Breaking the Mold http:\/\/wp.me\/p6YJx-an0","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-39866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wildlife-photography"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/DAMLCSSH0477.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Podcast.jpg?fit=1500%2C1500&quality=100&ssl=1","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/www.audible.com\/pd\/Podcast\/B08JJQC1GR?ref=a_pd_item-n_c0_bc&pf_rd_p=1da7ab30-c785-4a0e-a160-4a7e7077b353&pf_rd_r=EEDMYHQM3DZ05FPRTHMJ","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2fRA9VaVfSdQMKf1ipxr0tipxr0t","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/moose-podcast\/id1107405746","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/www.moosepeterson.com\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/moose-podcast","embedCode":"

Breaking the Mold<\/a><\/blockquote>