A few years ago we purchased a very simple trail camera to take along on our visits to South Africa’s wild places, reason being that we were interested to know and see what wildlife roamed around after the humans went to bed. During our week at Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park a dripping geyser overflow that created a small puddle in hardened mud and a pie-dish beneath an outside tap were the perfect locations to set up our little “camera trap” and spy on the wild neighbours that roam the camp by day and night. The camera worked overtime and took thousands of photos, and with great excitement we’d download these on a daily basis to see what came to visit while we were either away or asleep.
Vervet Monkey sneaking a drink beneath the geyser overflow
As was to be expected a wide variety of birds were drawn to the artificial “waterholes” around our cabin. What made us really excited was the very many shots the camera got of usually very shy and retiring forest birds we would otherwise have broken our necks trying to sneak even a single photograph of.
Bearded Scrub-Robin
Dark-backed Weavers and a Grey-headed Sparrow
Dark-capped Bulbul
Green Twinspot
Green Twinspot
Green Twinspot
Grey-headed Sparrow
Grey-tit Flycatcher and Olive Sunbird, with Samango Monkeys in the background
Grey Waxbill – the only appearance by this species on thousands of photos taken by the camera trap during our week at Cape Vidal
Livingstone’s Turacos
Livingstone’s Turacos
Livingstone’s Turacos
Livingstone’s Turacos
Livingstone’s Turacos
Livingstone’s Turaco
Olive Sunbird
Olive Sunbird
Pink-throated and Green Twinspots
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chat
Red-capped Robin Chats
Tambourine Dove
Tambourine Dove
Tambourine Dove
White-eared Barbet
Yellow-bellied Greenbuls
Yellow-bellied Greenbuls
Yellow-fronted Canary, with a bushbuck in the background
By day the biggest mammals that roamed around the camp at Cape Vidal was the Bushbucks. Male and female, young and old, they all put in an appearance.
Very old Bushbuck ewe
Bushbuck ewe
Bushbuck ram
Bushbuck ram
Very old Bushbuck ewe
Bushbuck ram
Young Bushbuck
Young Bushbuck ram
Bushbuck ram and ewe
Bushbuck ewe
By far the species featured most often in the photos taken by the trailcam was the Samango Monkeys, and some of the things they got up to when they thought there weren’t any humans around to see was most amusing.
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkey with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkey with a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys with abushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys and a bushbuck in the background
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkeys
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey mom and baby
Samango Monkey mom and baby
Samango Monkey mom and baby
Samango Monkey mom and baby
Samango Monkey mom and baby
Nighttime brought a shift in the animals coming to prowl around our accommodations – the bushbuck were still around and genets aren’t really threatening, but I wouldn’t want to encounter the bushpigs or hyenas in the dark!
Bushbuck ram outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushbuck ram outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpigs outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpigs outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpigs outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpig outside our cabin in the dark of night
Bushpigs outside our cabin in the dark of night
Large-spotted Genet outside our cabin in the dark of night
Large-spotted Genet outside our cabin in the dark of night
Spotted Hyena outside our cabin in the dark of night
Spotted Hyena outside our cabin in the dark of night
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iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
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DeWetsWild 
So interesting to see all your visitors being so unselfconscious in front of the lens.
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I was amazed at it too, Carol. I expected they’d be much more cautious about this strange new thing in their vicinity.
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And it would seem that fresh water is a very valuable resource at Cape Vidal that so many creatures were eager to find.
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There were rainwater puddles and pans everywhere in and outside camp, which made their attraction to our artificial waterholes even more strange!
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Maybe this is another example of the unexpected relatively safety of hanging around camp grounds? After the prolonged drought in the region a few years back it is lovely to think about the area being so well off with water this season.
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We’d seen most of northern KZN’s reserves at the height of the last drought, and that was awful. Seeing these places we love so dearly so green and lush is wonderful.
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Great idea to bring that trail camera! The gallery of monkey images is fun to look at. You really get to see the birds and animals up close and personal when they think no one is looking.
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It does bring a very interesting perspective on their habits, John, even if it is just a glimpse.
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That’s an amazing collection of photos of hard to see, never mind photograph, bird and other species! That would get me up early just to see what’s been captured overnight. What is the camera that you use?
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Thank you very much, Don! It’s a little GamePro 5 megapixel camera I picked up on a special from Takealot.
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The draw of water. The Turacos are fantastic looking birds but trust them Robin-chats to mess it up for others!
Reminds me of a holiday to a Greek island where a leaking pipe (part of an underground fire prevention system) in a pine wood drew birds like a magnet, spent hours watching them.
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It’s wonderful how quickly wildlife exploits opportunities like that to their advantage!
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This is a fun adventure of its own – parallel to your own walks and drives through the area. I have often wondered about the sounds I hear in our garden at night …
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Great fun to wonder what’s making noise outside in the dark when I’m out in one of our national parks or reserves, but terrifying when the same happens in Pretoria… 🙂
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I know what you mean … I was thinking more along the lines of a brown mongoose or an owl. I like to keep the positive thoughts uppermost in the dark hours 🙂
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😀
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You sure chose an excellent location in which to set up your “spy” cam! Really interesting!
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This is the kind of technology I love – bringing me even closer to nature!
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Everybody goes to the downspouts to get some water. Is there a drought there right now?
I see many birds in that area. Are there many kinds of monkeys in the park? Thank you, D. 🙂
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Thanks for the interesting questions, H.J!
Being forest animals the creatures that roam Cape Vidal are water-dependent and so drink water any chance they get. The Park has had excellent rainfall this year and is lush and green with natural water easily available all over.
iSimangaliso has a list of 526 bird species that occur there and, excluding humans, 4 of the 5 primate species that occur naturally in South Africa can be seen there: Chacma Baboon, Samango Monkey, Vervet Monkey and Thick-tailed Bushbaby.
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Thank you, D. 🙂
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I so enjoyed seeing all these photos of your visitors.
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We were also very excited everyday when we checked the camera to see what came to visit, Anne!
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