The Camera Trap Investigation Unit Reports for Duty
Camera traps are designed to be unnoticed. Placed quietly along wildlife pathways, beside burrows and across the landscapes animals know best, they are intended to document behaviour without interfering. Most of the time, they succeed. Wildlife passes by, the camera records the moment, and the animal continues on its way. But every investigation needs investigators.
Across Okonjima, some animals refuse to simply walk past a strange new object in their territory. A different scent, an unfamiliar shape or a subtle change in their environment is enough to trigger closer inspection. For species that rely heavily on smell, caution or curiosity to navigate the world, a camera trap becomes more than a box attached to a tree. It becomes a mystery waiting to be solved.
This month, the tables turned. Instead of our cameras quietly observing wildlife, our wildlife decided to investigate the cameras. From a leopard conducting a territorial assessment to a brown hyena analysing a scent trail, a genet carrying out a full forensic examination and a young leopard cub beginning its training as the next generation of explorers, August’s camera traps captured a series of unexpected inspections. The case files are open. The suspects have been identified.
Some investigators prefer to observe from a distance. Lesedi does not appear to be one of them. With her face almost filling the frame and her piercing eyes fixed directly on the camera, this female leopard gives the impression that she has discovered the investigator rather than the other way around. For a species that depends on knowing its territory intimately, an unfamiliar object appearing within its range is unlikely to go unnoticed.
Lesedi first appeared on AfriCat’s camera trap network in March 2016 after likely entering the reserve as an adult. Now around 14½ years old, she remains one of Okonjima’s more elusive leopards, rarely encountered except through camera trap footage or during dedicated monitoring efforts in the northern sections of the reserve. Although visitors may not often meet her, the research team knows her history well. According to AfriCat records, Lesedi has raised several cubs, including Jabulani, a well-known young male who has since established himself in the southern part of the reserve.
This photograph captures something camera traps often reveal best: the hidden lives of animals that prefer to remain unseen. For a brief moment, Lesedi allowed the camera one very rare privilege: A direct look.
Honey badgers investigate everything. With a powerful sense of smell and a reputation for fearless curiosity, they examine anything that could potentially lead to food, whether it is a scent beneath the soil, movement in a burrow or an unfamiliar object appearing along their path. This individual appears to have completed a full inspection of the camera trap already. The verdict? Unimpressed!
Honey badgers are exceptional problem solvers and opportunistic feeders, but even the most determined investigator has limits. After carefully assessing the strange object outside the burrow entrance, this honey badger seems to have reached the conclusion that there is nothing edible, interesting or particularly worthwhile about this discovery. No insects. No rodents. No hidden snacks. Just another camera trap interrupting an otherwise productive day.
A brown hyena does not simply look at the world. It smells it. For this remarkable scavenger, scent is information. Every animal that passes through an area leaves behind chemical clues that reveal who has been there, how recently they passed and whether their presence might represent an opportunity or a threat.
To us, this camera trap is a piece of equipment. To a brown hyena, it is an archive of smells. The close approach suggests a thorough investigation, perhaps conducted before beginning a nightly foraging route. Brown hyenas travel large distances in search of food, relying heavily on their exceptional sense of smell to locate carcasses and assess potential feeding opportunities.
After the inspection, however, the expression suggests that the findings were less exciting than expected. The scent report has been filed. The case has been closed.
It seems only fitting that a baboon finally joins the investigation. After all, Okonjima means “place of baboons” in Otjiherero.
This young chacma baboon appears to have temporarily separated from the troop to inspect a rather unusual object sitting near a termite mound. For a species known for its intelligence, social complexity and curiosity, investigating something unfamiliar is exactly what we would expect. Young baboons learn by exploring. They manipulate objects, test boundaries and gather information about the world around them. Every strange shape, new smell and unfamiliar item becomes an opportunity to learn.
One can only imagine what this youngster made of the camera trap. Perhaps it was a scientific instrument. Perhaps it was a puzzle. Perhaps it was simply something that needed further investigation. Either way, the junior researcher has arrived.
If curiosity had a detective, it would probably look like this. Over five photographs, this spotted genet slowly closes the distance, approaching the camera with increasing confidence as though solving the greatest mystery of its evening patrol. By the final frame, the investigation has become so thorough that the lens is filled with little more than two enormous eyes.
Although they resemble cats, spotted genets are not true cats. They belong to the Viverridae family and are agile, solitary hunters that rely on stealth, movement and sharp senses while navigating the night. They are naturally inquisitive predators, constantly assessing unfamiliar objects as they move through their territories. This one simply decided the camera deserved a complete background check. The evidence has been examined. The suspect has been identified. The camera trap remains mysteriously silent.
When you weigh more than a tonne, unfamiliar objects deserve a proper assessment. White rhinos have relatively poor eyesight, meaning they often rely on smell and hearing to understand what is happening around them. A strange object appearing in their environment is therefore likely to receive a cautious inspection before being accepted.
This rhino approaches the camera trap, evaluates the situation and appears to reach a conclusion. Not dangerous or interesting. Not worth worrying about.
With the inspection complete, he settles down directly in front of the camera for a peaceful rest, while his companion in the background appears completely unconcerned. Perhaps this individual had already conducted the investigation earlier, or perhaps they simply decided the matter was not worth their attention. Either way, the camera has officially been approved for continued operation.
Steenbok are usually masters of disappearing. Small, solitary antelope living in a landscape filled with predators rarely afford themselves the luxury of unnecessary attention. Their survival depends on vigilance, quick reactions and the ability to detect danger before it gets too close. Which makes this investigation particularly impressive.
In the first image, this female steenbok cautiously approaches the camera trap, already closer than most individuals would dare venture. In the next, curiosity appears to win the argument completely, with her face filling the frame as she moves in for a much more detailed inspection. For a species that relies heavily on sharp senses to navigate a dangerous world, this close examination is likely not random curiosity. Smell plays an important role in how steenbok interpret their surroundings, helping them gather information about unfamiliar objects, other animals and potential risks.
The inspection was thorough. And after getting the closest look possible, this tiny antelope could return to the bush knowing exactly what this strange object was. Probably.
Every camera trap on Okonjima eventually attracts an inspector. This one just happened to be the smallest. Captured bounding over a pangolin burrow during what was likely an evening outing with its mother, this leopard cub appears to catch sight of the camera for a brief moment before carrying on with far more important business. We suspect this youngster may belong to PP091, a female leopard monitored in the northern section of the reserve.
Young leopards learn through play, constantly exploring their surroundings, climbing over obstacles and investigating anything unfamiliar. Those seemingly carefree adventures are laying the foundations for a lifetime of hunting, navigating territories and avoiding danger.
Whether the cub noticed the camera or simply happened to glance in its direction, the moment perfectly captures the curiosity that defines young predators. The next generation of inspectors is already on duty. This month’s inspectors came in all shapes and sizes. None was quite as charming as this little trainee.
Camera traps are often described as silent observers, but August’s photographs reveal a different side of the story. Wildlife is not simply moving through a landscape that we observe. They are constantly assessing, investigating and interpreting the world around them. Every unfamiliar scent, strange object and unexpected sound becomes another piece of information to process. This month, the investigation moved in both directions.
The cameras recorded the animals. The animals inspected the cameras. And somewhere between the two, we gained another glimpse into the remarkable curiosity, intelligence and individuality of Okonjima’s wildlife. The case may be closed for now. But the investigators are always watching.
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