BubbleCam

Jaguars
February 13, 2009 at the Memphis Zoo and Aquarium

This was a day of firsts for the BubbleCam. Up until this shoot, we were sure that the BubbleCam had been pushed to its limits by the Bengal tiger trio and the African lions. Little did we know, the two six year-old Jaguars of the Memphis Zoo would put the BubbleCam to it’s ultimate survival test.

Morgan Powers explained to us as he baited the camera that the Jaguars were usually slow to come out, so we expected a lingering approach when we pushed record. The gates were opened and one black feline immediately rushed the camera and pounced––the fastest approach of any animal we’ve filmed so far. When the other jaguar came to investigate, Maya slapped a paw on the bubble and hissed, refusing to share. So Inca sat back and watched.

A few minutes later, however, she got tired of waiting and pounced on the camera. Maya grabbed the base in her teeth and dragged it around the enclosure, trying to keep the BubbleCam all to herself. But Inca followed, slapping the bubble as Maya tugged it around…and around…and around. The whole time Inca chased it, trying to participate, causing the entire crew to shake with repressed giggles. “Hilarious!”

Maya regained possession of her BubbleCam and attempted to pull it up into the tree, where they eat their prey. It was too awkward to maneuver, and she ended up dropping it down the side of the rock. It was flipped onto the belly and each Jaguar took turns surfing, licking, chewing and slapping. Maya flopped onto her back and pulled the camera down on top of her, spinning it around like a wheel with her back feet, playing with it like a house cat with a catnip toy.

The BubbleCam endured consistent slaps, bites, pushes, pulls, drops, and flips from the very first moment. The powerful jaws of the two young Jaguars put more trenches and scratches on the base than the lions, tigers, and bears combined. We were thrilled with the footage we received of these amazing cats and we learned to never underestimate the power of a predator.

Thanks for reading!

Check out some photos:

Snow Leopards
February 6, 2009 at the Memphis Zoo and Aquarium

This was our second time around filming the snow leopards. The first time, the temperature was scorching and the activity of the animals was little to none, and we’ve been waiting for the perfect re-do moment since. We wanted to capture them at their prettiest, so we waited until the colder season. This time, they were more active and their fur was absolutely gorgeous.
At first, the two snow leopards were fairly indifferent to the BubbleCam laying in the grass in the center of their pen. Tonya Matelski explained to us that they typically keep to themselves. She said she had expected a little indifference and she offered to bait the BubbleCam.
   Sure enough, once the camera was littered with treats, the male leopard was ready for his close up. He immediately walked up and slapped the camera over the lens causing a few young onlookers to hop up and down with excitement. After giving the bubble a few claw scratches, the snow leopard plopped down and rubbed his entire head on the camera. We’re supposing he felt comfortable because he stayed there for the next half hour. What amazing footage!
Thelma D., a zoo visitor who came to take photos, watched the live video and marveled at the footage of the snow leopard rolling against the camera. “This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it!” From a photographer’s point of view, she said the BubbleCam is capable of incredible things.

We caught some of the zoo visitors who stopped to watch the BubbleCam show and asked them what they thought:

“Wow! How awesome!”

“I just can’t believe the animals are so close!”

“I’m so glad I walked by the snow leopards when I did––this is really cool!”

––Thanks Thelma, John, Jeff, and Petra!