Letter to the Editor: The Time I Made Eye Contact with a Lion

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MSU Exponent, its editorial staff, advisers, or Montana State University.

By: Lydia Shepherd

When you look a lion in the eyes for the first time, it certainly awakens some primal instinct that you should not, in fact, be staring at a lion in such close proximity. The lion really doesn’t care because it’s spent its whole life staring right back at people in big green boxes on wheels. In Kenya, a lion may be more familiar with a vehicle than some people, according to our guides. If the lion doesn’t use your vehicle for shade in the heat of the day, it will just mosey off in search of a tree. If you happen to stumble upon a big cat in the evening though, you might be in for a treat. 

One of the guide’s favorite things was to call “cat o’clock” around 5p.m., right when you were likely waking up if you are a morning person in Montana. This was prime time for hunting and activity. On one lucky night, we witnessed a cheetah catch a gazelle, and it didn’t even look like it tried that hard. The gazelles were clueless right up until the cheetah started to get close when it then slow jogged, slow ran and then did a 180-degree turn to cut off the gazelle from the herd. In a matter of 30 seconds, it was down. I had dreams about it that night, because it was such an unreal moment to witness. 

My trip to Kenya, facilitated by the Department of Ecology, Office of International Programs and Dr. Brian Smithers through a class called East Africa and the World’s Biomes, was like living in a kids’ book. It was amazing to see all the animals that only seem to make appearances in books, movies and zoos in North America. One unexpected fascination was the birds. They were so vibrant, abundant, and completely different from anything you would find in Montana. Birding was also easier because most things were out in the open and most trees did not have dense foliage. 

My favorite thing about this trip though was the people I got to meet and interact with. Kenya was so different from any place I had traveled in the past. For one, I summited my tallest mountain to date, Mount Kenya, but had the most luxurious backpacking experience I’ve ever had in my life. For every student, there were approximately 5 porters who carried all the water, food, sleeping equipment and toilets up the mountain. It is a central way for tourism income to return to the local economy. These men were impressively strong and knowledgeable, carrying up to 3 backpacking bags at once! One porter, Peter, found a wild chameleon while he was down by a mountain stream. 

The porters hiked much faster than us, so we didn’t talk to them as much, but it was interesting to learn more about the lives of all the guides we worked with. In the Kenyan school system, tourism is pushed as an extremely lucrative career path, when in reality, most people can only support their families on it seasonally, with farming being the most common main income. When we drove through towns, we saw a lot of open-range animal care and street-side vendors. There were also a lot of nomadic grazing practices in open pasture. There were a lot of different opinions on how culture has shifted in the last 50 years or so, but one thing that seemed common was frustration with government corruption. 

While the animals were amazing to witness, this experience was a cultural eye-opener. This is why ecology and environmental science study abroad programs should be more supported by the University. I don’t have the background to go on a business or language study abroad, but I do know science, and it is a universal language among all cultures. An important skill among scientists is to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with people from 

many different backgrounds. It was powerful to learn the perspectives of people who grew up very differently than I had and have very different issues to conquer regarding environmental health. 

My participation in this program was supported in part by the Gilman International Scholars Program, whose mission is to increase accessibility of study abroad programs for students who hope to make a difference in the United States. 

If you want to see pictures and hear more about my stories from Kenya or ask questions about the Gilman Scholarship, I am having an info session on Tuesday, November 10th from 5 to 7 P.M in room 235 of the Strand Union Building! There will be food and interesting conversations!