Hi! My name is Dr. Christine Wilkinson, and I'm a National Geographic Explorer and an expert in human-wildlife interactions, conservation science, and carnivore ecology. I am a member of the IUCN SSC Hyaena Specialist Group and currently specialize in spotted hyenas and coyotes- in particular, determining how they move through human-altered landscape, what drives their interactions with people, and how environmental justice underpins all of it. Check out our new beta webpage for our organization on hyena coexistence, the Humans and Hyenas Alliance. For my research, I use tools such as motion sense cameras, GPS collars, remote sensing, and community participatory mapping. I've also served as a scientific expert (on and off screen) for several past and upcoming productions (IMDB page), created an ongoing TikTok series called Queer is Natural, and co-founded Black Mammalogists Week. It's one of my missions in life to recognize scientists as kaleidoscopic beings whose diverse experiences and perspectives can improve science and wildlife conservation! Read more at https://scrappynaturalist.com/ and follow me on twitter (@ScrapNaturalist), tiktok (@TheScrappyNaturalist), and Instagram (@christine_eleanor).

Hello world! I'm Christine Dell'Amore, a senior editor at National Geographic specializing in wildlife, especially underrepresented species. So, you could say I'm a fan of the underdog. I've written stories about dung beetles that navigate by the Milky Way, coyotes that raise pups in downtown Chicago, and now, in the March issue of National Geographic magazine, female spotted hyenas that are queens of their kingdom! Did you know hyenas are actually doting moms, clever problem solvers, and the most successful hunter in all of Africa? Ask us anything!

To learn more about hyenas and other matriarchs in the animal kingdom, watch Queens, a Nat Geo original series, now streaming on Disney and Hulu.

We'll be here at 11am EST (16 UT). Ask us anything!

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