Cats like moving objects, but only for a while. I once bought a radio-controlled mouse that zipped around the living room, and my cat couldn't help but follow it around and try pouncing on it. And then, eventually, she got tired, and she took a nap right next to it.
Brothers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas certainly learned their lesson from much bigger cats—lions—which destroyed a remote control camera they dubbed the BeetleCam. And so they created the lion-proof BeetleCam, armed and prepared for the legendary king of beasts. Here's thetir recen report from Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve:The pride had four cubs and it wasn't long before they were all circling BeetleCam suspiciously. They grew bolder and more inquisitive by the second and soon they were approaching to within inches of buggy as they probed for weaknesses.
They intuitively recognised the front of BeetleCam and would try to circle around to attack it from behind. They also grew bolder whenever BeetleCam retreated, swiping at it with their oversized paws. We were just getting the hang of this new game when disaster struck; BeetleCam's front left wheel hadn't been tightened properly and it worked its way off! The cubs instantly seemed to recognise that the buggy was in distress and they closed in.
Amazing footage after the jump
Fortunately, the "BeetleCam Mark II" survived this vicious mauling and lived to see another day. And it's a good thing, too. With a Canon 1DS Mark III, two flashes and the portable GoPro video camera, the brothers' device is not cheap. But it's worth it: the cameras offer a stunning, ground's eye view of the lions--pouncing, playing, eating, sleeping. The photos, viewable on their site (male, female and lion cub versions), show these amazing creatures with stunning intimacy.
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