Lions – Spy In The Den
View set on FlickrIntroducing ‘Bouldercam’ – a revolutionary remote camera device that boldly goes where no camera has gone before – right into the heart of a lion pride. Looking deceptively like a mobile rock, but carrying a hidden digital camera, ‘Bouldercam’ gets up close and personal as it unravels the story of how cubs learn to become adult lions. Bouldercam was often just a whisker away as the cubs were watched, for over 3000 hours, growing up and learning to be lions. As David Attenborough says ‘This is no ordinary film about lions.’
Bouldercam
The first time the cubs met Bouldercam they were fascinated by the strange animated boulder in their midst. They were unsure whether it was some kind of creature or a natural feature in the landscape. But after this first playful encounter they would ignore Bouldercam completely allowing us to get a cub’s eye view of their action-packed lives.
Bouldercam was never harmed by the lions, its rounded design meant that even full-grown lions would have difficulty getting their teeth in. In the event, only one young male tried to eat the fibreglass cover – fortunately without success.
But Bouldercam nearly came to grief filming the, often violent, amorous antics of the lions. At the point of climax, the lioness sometimes turns on the male. Bouldercam was caught in the crossfire as the 200 kilo male leapt over it to escape. Bouldercam, hit by the lion’s underbelly, somersaulted into the air. Fortunately it landed the right way up, although we briefly lost picture, the Bouldercam was shaken but unharmed.