Some Strange Stuff

Over Christmas we went for a picnic at Tygerberg. I had a camera trap at home and decided that it's a good opportunity to get it back in the field. I placed a chicken bone in front of the camera as bait, because it was on (actually in) hand.

When I checked the camera two weeks later I found that the camera filled up in the first couple of days thanks to the warm weather and strong winds without photographing much, and the chicken bone was gone... The culprit was a Four-Striped Grass Mouse.

Four-Striped Grass Mouse (Streepmuis - Rhabdomys pumilio) grabbing the bone

Checking the exit...



Making a run for it...


These images where taken with the Bushnell Trophy Cam 2010 Viewer model and demonstrates clearly the problem I have with this model. It overexposes almost every photograph it takes.

The 2009 non-viewer model is much better and has the added functionality to set it to only turn on between two specified times each day. Thanks to this functionality I'm able to place it at the pond and survive the onslaught of Guineafowl, Bontebok and warm winds during the day.

Placing the camera this time around, however, was not as easy as it usually is. I had to deal with one very grumpy Tortoise...

 Leopard Tortoise (Bergskilpad - Stigmochelys pardalis) charging for the kill

For some reason it kept on chasing me around. Every time I reach the camera this grumpy guy comes steaming up to me with murderous intent.


I tried to talk things out, but he didn't want to listen...


Once he gets to me and the camera I get up and walk back along the shore, as far as I can  go, and wait a couple of seconds for him to catch up to me (he was moving about at a good speed because he was nice and warm and was filed with an incomprehensible tortoise rage). I then head back to the camera to continue setting it up with him on me heels, charging full speed (which is luckily just a bit slower than my casual walking speed).


He even started to fight dirty...

After ruffing up my bags he then charged back to me and we repeat the process.

When I got to the pond at first I wasn't sure what he was doing until he came right up to me and launched himself at me. I managed to dodge the attack but these tortoises are rather heavy and I'm pretty sure I don't want things to get physical...

In short I manage to stay just out of reach and in time I wrapped things up and, watching my back, I headed for the hills.