Not only are the videos adorable, but they also reveal secrets about animals to biologists.
Being raised in Los Angeles, I didn’t spend much time in nature. I would tell everyone who tried to bring me on a hike, “I’m a city person.” However, I saw birds hatching on my balcony during lockdown. I acquired a software to identify bird cries and hung bird feeders in the hopes of avoiding doomscrolling.
The finches provided a calming diversion, but when I came upon a charming “critter cam” account on social media, everything truly changed. Not only were people feeding the birds, but they were also filming them and even arranging a little hot tub.
I started to get fixated. I purchased a generic trail camera for my yard from Amazon.com. Within a few days, I was fully immersed in the lives of the skunks, squirrels, and possums in my neighborhood—a natural reality show taking place in the shrubs of my own backyard.
There’s possibly an entire animal cosmos right outside your window, depending on where you live. All you need is a little spy gear, and with the widespread availability of low-cost cameras, a thriving internet community of animal lovers has arisen.
