R.I.P. brave little Bushnell.

Bushnell Trophy Cam serial # B101214948 has probably taken its last image. Having withstood the fiercest Cape storms, ignored the biting ants that invaded its battery compartment and photographed Africa's beasts without flinching, my trusty camera-trap was taken. The culprit is unknown but could either be a lion or a hyaena - there were tracks of both where the camera last stood. I guess 'taken by a lion' has a better ring to it but the odds must favour the hyaena. Either way, the last image it took probably looks something like this:

It could either represent the inside of a lion's mouth or the gloom of a hyaena den. Expert trackers have had a go looking for the camera but to no avail. I would love to find it though. However, I guess its not so much the camera that I'd like to see again - but rather those last images on the memory card.

One Morning at the Suricate Den

Meercats (Suricata suricatta) generally live in the drier parts of Southern Africa and are much loved by almost everyone who comes in contact with them. They can be habituated to the presence of humans fairly quickly and didn't seem overly concerned when I set up a camera at their burrow. Within minutes of me walking away the first noses poked out of the ground to see what the commotion was about.

Meercats are entirely diurnal and my camera showed absolutely no activity between just after sunset and just after sunrise - when the following images were taken. It was a cold night, just above freezing, so the early morning sun must have been welcome. And, much like my household, the parents were up before the kids.


7:20 am - the first sign of life

7:24 am

7:30 am

7:31 am

7:32 am

7:33 am

7:34

7:35 am  

Things that (don't) go BUMP in the night.

I've just returned from a great trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. I always love going there but this time was particularly special since I got to set up some cameras at various sites not accessible to the public (thanks Jan!). I'll post a few images of those sites in due course but, for today, some images from our camping site.

The campsite was unfenced so there was a good chance that lions would wander through - as they often do. So I set up a few cameras in the hope of getting some shots of these beasts bumping into my tent!
Well, it never happened. The big cats came pretty close one night but not close enough for a photo - and maybe that's a good thing.

But we weren't entirely alone:

 A Cape Fox (Vulpes charma). I know foxes are considered to be vermin in some parts but around here seeing one is a treat. These guys seldom get habituated to humans so generally behave as foxes should: pretty furtive and secretive.

A Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas). They're not nearly as cute, in my opinion, as the Cape Fox. Known for their cunning and wariness their nocturnal calls are a feature of the African night.

..and lastly....

A Brown Hyaena (Parahyaena brunnea). It's always a treat to see these guys too. They're pretty solitary and nocturnal and, unlike their Spotted relatives, never very vocal. Even though they can weigh over 40kg and are pretty capable of ripping up carrion there is nothing too scary about them. They're welcome to bump into my tent any time!