It has been a week since we posted the Adventures of BeetleCam article on this blog and since then we have been overwhelmed by the incredible response it has received. BeetleCam has already been featured in national newspapers and we have been interviewed for various TV and radio programmes around the world. It has been a crazy week for us!
One of the stories that has captured peoples’ attention is the mauling of our beloved Canon EOS 400D by a mischievous lioness. In this post we relive the encounter and release previously unseen images.
Having spotted a pride of lions lazing around under a tree, we decided to pit BeetleCam against Africa’s top predator (yes, thanks for comments, we know this wasn’t a smart idea). True to their nature, the lions quickly spotted the helpless creature blundering towards them and thought it would make a convenient snack. After the slowest chase in history, the bemused lioness caught up with BeetleCam and fastened her jaws around our camera. BeetleCam was hoisted into the air and the lioness ran off into the bush with her prize.
At this point it became clear that this was no ordinary lioness… this was a budding photographer! In the first ever feline photo walk, the talented cat dabbled in landscape photography and self-portraiture.
Unfortunately it wasn’t long before the over-zealous snapper put a canine through the mirror box and the photo walk was prematurely concluded.
The destructive kitty lost interest in the now useless camera and went off in search of something more edible. We swooped in to recover the stricken BeetleCam and our mangled camera. By some miracle the memory card survived and on reviewing the photographs we were surprised to discover that the lioness had a knack for experimental composition and abstract art.
Update: The BeetleCam website is now live: BeetleCam Project
LOL, hilarious! I’ll pass the group to my Feline friends, who knows if they have something to add =p
What an amazing story! I’m sure you guys will replace said camera body in short order and put a new one in harm’s way soon… Keep up the great work!
I love the photo’s and the way you took the loss of your equipment.
And I admire your inventiousness in making this transport camera
I laughed, went back to this intrepid feline photographer, and laughed some more.
Thanks for sharing the adventures of the mighty beetle cam, and now the latest edition.
Makes all my pussycat photos look pretty tame.
Keep up the good work.
the idea was great. the making of a transport camera.
this hilarious hahahahahahaha and the lioness hahahahaha
I absolutely love how your phrased her as a “budding photographer” and that this was the first ever “feline photo walk”.
If I ever had the opportunity to do something like you guys are doing I’d probably get a little too close and not realize it either. Life on an invisible edge 🙂
Cabin Fever in Vermont
Some pics of the mangled camera would be in order, would really love to see what it looked like after big kitty had tried to make a meal of it.
I really enjoyed these… a great idea with the mobile “in the wild” camera. I love it!
This is pure delight. We need chapter 2
Where is photo-lioness today and what is she doing artistically? Her next project?
These are interesting photos. Your camera takes really good pictures. Too bad the lion tore it up, but you got some really great pictures and a great story to go with it.
Very funny, good stuff,
now, you need to get a dog ie. perhaps an hyena, to do the same thing, then we can settle the whole “who’s a better landscape photographer” debate between dogs and cats.
In terms of artistic attitude, I thinks cat’s would win out hands down;)
Please give us more.
Hi Lads… They are better than the shots that some of my photographer friends take.LOL
You guys deserve all the media attention that comes your way. Great work. Your fans are thankful that you are sharing it all!
Aloha.
Bill
Fantastic pics of the lioness to get up sooo close, now someone needs to come up with a remote floating device and perhaps capture the wild animals that live in the tree tops.Keep up the awesome photos.
Hello boys! interesting and great! seems you have taken a few photos before your camera gets into trouble. But anyhow your project reveals the natural side of the nature and it is valuable.
Love the “(c) Lioness” in the photos
fantastic photos, we are going back to
South Africa this year, hope my photos are half as good
This story is so funny, this beetlecam is a nice way to take pictures of an animal like that.
but perhaps a better idea to let it give small electo shocks when an animal has it.
and a stronger body atleast anything around it to keeps the camera alive.
anyway love the idea and story so hilarious 😛
This story had me laughing for ages, maybe you should get a Cheetah to touch up the pics in Photoshop!
Brilliant, just brilliant!