Olive Baboons at Kenya

While doing other things in my computer, I had one video stream open in the corner of big screen and suddenly I noticed some baboons there. After quick investigation the species number 72 was clear: Olive Baboon (Papio anubis) and the location was Lentorre Lodge, South Rift Valley, Kenya. I think I will focus now a bit more on video streams in Kenya and Tanzania, as there seems to be more species I have not yet seen, compared to southern Afrcian countries.

The Olive Baboon, also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, extending from Mali eastward to Ethiopia and Tanzania. Isolated populations are also present in some mountainous regions of the Sahara. It inhabits savannahs, steppes, and forests. The common name is derived from its coat colour, which is a shade of green-grey at a distance. A variety of communications, vocal and non-vocal, facilitate a complex social structure.

The species inhabits a strip of 25 equatorial African countries. The exact boundaries of this strip are not clearly defined, as the species' territory overlaps with that of other baboon species. In many places, this has resulted in cross-breeding between species. For example, considerable hybridisation has occurred between the Olive Baboon and the Hamadryas Baboon in Ethiopia. Cross-breeding with the Yellow Baboon and the Guinea Baboon has also been observed. Although this has been noted, the hybrids have not as yet been well studied.

Leopard!

The next new mammal to me came at 00:00, species number 71 😅 Species that I had been waiting for the beginning, the Leopard (Panthera pardus)! Wow! It is one of the five extant cat species in the genus Panthera. Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, leopard populations are currently threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range. I would love to see this species live in nature.

The location was Jaci’s Dam Cam at Sabi Sand Nature Reserve.

Naivasha Dik-Dik

 Naivasha Dik-dik (Madoqua cavendishi), new species number 70 for me. 😀 I already thought that this will be the first day since 4th of February when I will not find a new species. The time was 23:18 when I saw eyes in the Mahali Mzuri Lodge Live Cam | Maasai Mara, Kenya. Soon the camera zoomed closer and Dik-dik's came out from bushes.

Naivasha Dik-dik is a species of small Dik-dik antelope native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is believed to belong to six subspecies Kirk's Dik-dik and possibly it's a seventh existing in southwest Africa. But who knows, what's the truth, scientists have to study this. Dik-diks are herbivores, typically of a fawn color that aids in camouflaging themselves in savannah habitats. According to MacDonald (1985), they are also capable of reaching speeds up to 42 km/hour. The lifespan of  Naivasha Dik-dik in the wild is typically 5 years, but may surpass 10 years. In captivity, males have been known to live up to 16.5 years, while females have lived up to 18.4 years.

New species from Namibia

 

This is the species number 69 for me, the Southern Aardwolf  (Proteles cristatus), an insectivorous hyaenid species, native to East and Southern Africa. 

Aardwolves are shy and nocturnal, sleeping in burrows by day. They will, on occasion during the winter, become diurnal feeders. This happens during the coldest periods as they then stay in at night to conserve heat.

Aardwolves live in open, dry plains and bushland, avoiding mountainous areas. Due to their specific food requirements, they are found only in regions where termites of the family Hodotermitidae occur. Termites of this family depend on dead and withered grass and are most populous in heavily grazed grasslands and savannahs, including farmland. For most of the year, Aardwolves spend time in shared territories consisting of up to a dozen dens, which are occupied for six weeks at a time

Side-striped Jackals at Hwange

Species number 68 is the Side-striped Jackal (Lupulella adusta) and it is a canine native to Central and Southern Africa. Saw two them in Hwange Safari Lodge, Zimbabwe.

The Side-striped Jackal has a much wider distribution than the better-known Black-backed Jackal, but there are large parts of their range with no information on their population status.

The side-striped jackal lives both solitarily and in family groups of up to seven individuals. The family unit is dominated by a breeding pair, which remains monogamous for a number of years.

The breeding season for this species depends on where they live; in Southern Africa, breeding starts in June and ends in November. The side-striped jackal has a gestation period of 57 to 70 days, with average litter of three to six young. The young reach sexual maturity at six to eight months of age, and typically begin to leave when 11 months old. The side-striped jackal is among the few mammal species that mate for life, forming monogamous pairs.

White-tailed Mongoose

  

These striking white visitors at Lentorre, Kenya are White-tailed Mongooses (Ichneumia albicauda), species number 67 to me. 😊

While the name suggests only the tail is white, their appearance under the infrared or high-contrast lighting of a night-hide camera often makes their entire bodies look ghostly white or silver. Here is why they look so unique in this photo:

The "ghost" effect: They have a thick, bushy tail that is almost entirely white. Because the rest of their coat is a grizzled grey/silver, it highly reflects the artificial light used at the Lentorre waterhole, giving them that glowing, ethereal look against the dark background.

The silhouette: Notice the distinctive "hunched" or arched back and the long, bushy tail trailing behind. This is the classic profile of a White-tailed Mongoose.

Nocturnal regulars: Lentorre is famous for its "Hide" where these animals are frequent visitors. They are the largest of the mongoose species and, unlike their famous social cousins (the Meerkats), they are mostly solitary and only active at night.

Fun Fact

The White-tailed Mongoose is a bit of a "stink-bomb" expert. If they feel threatened by a leopard or hyena at that waterhole, they can release a foul-smelling secretion from their anal glands that is potent enough to make a predator think twice!😁

And still two more gifts

My birthday evening continues with more new species! 😁 At first, in Lentorre, Kenya, I saw the Rusty-spotted Genet (Genetta fieldiana), also called Panther Genet and Large-spotted Genet. It was the species number 65 to me. It is a genet that is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is considered common and therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Soon after that, the species number 66 came from Namib Desert, the Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis). It is a species of fox found on the African savanna. It is the only extant species of the genus Otocyon, and is the sister species to all other members of the tribe Vulpini. No major threats to the bat-eared fox exist, and as such it is considered to be a least-concern species.

Birthday gift from Namibia

 Mother Nature gave me another birthday gift, this time from Namibia. Identification was a bit challenging, but not too much. The Paeba Hairy-footed Gerbil (Gerbillurus paeba) is the species number 64 to me. It is a species of rodent found in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, temperate shrubland, hot deserts, sandy shores, and urban areas. All members of this genus have hair on the soles of their feet, hence the name. They prefer sandy soil or sandy alluvium with grass, scrub or light woodland cover.

Birthday gift from Kenya

 African Golden Wolf, (Canis lupaster). species number 63,  tricky to identify but luckily I got help from other mammalwatchers! it native to North Africa, West Africa, the Sahel, northern East Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
The African wolf was previously classified as an African variant of the golden jackal, though a series of analyses on the species' mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genome in 2015 demonstrated that it is a distinct species more closely related to the gray wolf and coyote. It is nonetheless still close enough to the golden jackal to produce hybrid offspring, as indicated through genetic tests on jackals in Israel, and a 19th-century captive crossbreeding experiment. Further studies demonstrated that it is the descendant of a genetically admixed canid of 72% gray wolf and 28% Ethiopian wolf ancestry.

It plays a prominent role in some African cultures; it was considered sacred in ancient Egypt, particularly in Lycopolis, where it was venerated as a god. In North African folklore, it is viewed as an untrustworthy animal whose body parts can be used for medicinal or ritualistic purposes, while it is held in high esteem in Senegal's Serer religion as being the first creature to be created by the god Roog.

Thanks to Africam!

African Wildcat at Kalahari

From Canada to Kalahari, Namibia and a new species, African Wildcat (Felis lybica), species number 62 to me. It is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. 

The African wildcat (Felis lybica) is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia, and is distributed to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It inhabits a broad variety of landscapes ranging from deserts to savannas, shrublands and grasslands.

The African wildcat is the ancestor of the Domestic Cat (Felis atus). Some African wildcats were domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Near East. Interspecific hybrids between both species are common where their ranges overlap.

Killer Whale aka Orca

Wonderful calls! First time I heard Orca calls live, there must have been several of them, interesting discussion / party! I really wanna see Orca some day in nature, perhaps in Norway. The OrcaLab hydrophone is near Hanson Island, British Columbia. The Orca (Orcinus orca), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. Species number 61 to me. 🐬

The Orca, or Killer Whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus Orcinus, it is recognizable by its distinct pigmentation; being mostly black on top, white on the bottom and having recognizable white eye patches. A cosmopolitan species, it inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from Arctic to Antarctic regions to tropical seas, but is more commonly documented in temperate or cooler coastal waters. Scientists have proposed dividing the global population into races, subspecies, or possibly even species.

Orcas are apex predators with a diverse diet. Individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, including bony fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and whales. They are highly social, with some populations forming stable matrilineal family groups (pods). Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, often unique to specific groups and passed down from generation to generation, are considered to be manifestations of animal culture. The most studied populations are off the west coast of North America, which include fish-eating "residents", mammal-eating "transients", and offshores.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the orca's conservation status as data deficient as multiple orca types may represent distinct species. Some local populations are threatened or endangered due to prey depletion, habitat loss, pollution (by PCBs), captures for marine parks, and conflicts with fisheries. In late 2005, the southern resident orcas were added to the U.S. Endangered Species list.

But... Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are currently recognized as a single ecologically and morphologically diverse, globally distributed species. Multiple morphotypes or ecotypes have been described, often associated with feeding specialization, and several studies have suggested taxonomic revision to include multiple subspecies or species in the genus. 

See Revised taxonomy of eastern North Pacific killer whales (Orcinus orca): Bigg’s and resident ecotypes deserve species status

The first species from Australia!

Today I managed to see the Southern Greater Glider (Petauroides volans), species number 60 to me and the first one from Australia! Cool! The glider was just going to sleep, early in the morning, about 6:40 local time.

I will follow the Home Tree: Greater Glider Livestream in Tallaganda, Australia and I'll try to take a better picture later. And as you can see, now above is a better photo. ☝😀

NOTE! If you wanna see the Greater Glider, you better hurry, as the camera will be shut down permanently on 20.3.2026!

A world-first, this live stream from Tallaganda aims to uncover the secret life of wild Southern Greater Gliders (Petauroides volans) inside of their dens. Greater gliders exclusively use hollows (naturally forming holes inside of trees) as places to rest, sleep and raise their young 🐾

As a nocturnal species, they spend their nights foraging on eucalyptus leaves, and spend the daytime inside of hollows. Large hollows deep inside old trees provide great insulation and protection from the heat of the day, and also help to keep gliders warm during winter. Inside they are also protected from predators 🦉

Greater gliders are endangered. Habitat loss has led to significant population declines, particularly where large, old trees have been destroyed. Hollows can take up to 250 years to form! This means that if these old trees are lost, alongside younger trees that are lost before they can develop hollows, then greater gliders won't be able to survive and reproduce. This puts them at greater risk of going extinct!

P.S. But now, what's my next goal? I reached 60 species in twelve days, much faster than I thought.
I think I set my goal now to 80!  

Eurasian Wild Pigs at Mátra, Hungary

 

After Mouflon, I continued following the Mátra wildlife in the forest stream and after an hour, four Eurasian Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) arrived, species number 58! Soon after that, a single Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), species number 59, came to place and both animals got scared. After few minutes the Wild Pigs came back.

The eye of Wild Pig is visible in the left, and the small Roe Deer in the right.

Asian Mouflon

 

Next to Mátra, Hungary, where I spotted the Asian Mouflon (Ovis gmelini), species number 57. I hope I reach my first goal, the 60 species, this evening!

Couple of new species from North America

It's s sunday morning here in Europe, so it's good time to follow streams behind the pond i.e North America. Raccoons seem to visit in almost every bird feeding place, but there was also almost immediately many other species as well and couple of them were new to me. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), in North Carolina, was a bit challenging to identify, but when I noticed the rusty-red patch on the nape of the neck and noticeable white border on the ears, the species was clear. Species number 54 to me.  Another new species was the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), also known as the North American opossum, easy to identify and species number 55 to me. Third one was really tricky. It was a mouse, or actually two of them, in South Bend, Indiana. In the beginning, the id was White-footed / Eastern Deer Mouse. Based on the forehead stripe and the Indiana location, it's likely a sub-adult White-footed, or one with a prominent dorsal stripe.While both Deer Mice and White-footed Mice can have have a darker "saddle" (a darker band of fur down the back), the White-footed mouse specifically tends to have more prominent darkening on the forehead and between the eyes. Also the behavior, i.e. the climbing skills fits to White-footed. And the trees around the feeding place fits well for White-footed Mouse, because Deer Mouse lives in open fields and prairies. So, all details support the identification of White-footed Deermouse (Peromyscus leucopus), species number 56 to me, and a rodent native to North America from southern Canada to the southwestern United States and Mexico.

Scrub Hare & Southern African Springhare

In the saturday evening, I followed several streams and saw mainly same species that I see every day.  And a bit later in Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, South Africa, I saw three Scrub Hares (Lepus saxatilis), species number 52! And few hours later, Southern African Springhare (Pedetes capensis), species number 53! My first target, 60 species, is getting closer fast! Nice! 😀

Honey Badger

At Nkorho, South Africa, I saw a new species, the Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the Ratel. It was species number 51 for me. I've seen this species now few times, but unfortunately no photo add here. I will add it after next observation.

The Honey Badger is a mammal widely distributed across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only living species in both the genus Mellivora and the subfamily Mellivorinae. It has a fairly long body, with a distinctly thick-set and broad back, and remarkably loose skin, allowing the badger to turn and twist freely within it. The largest terrestrial mustelid in Africa, the honey badger measures 55 to 77 cm (22 to 30 in) long and weighs up to 16 kg (35 lb). Sexual dimorphism has been recorded in this species, with males being larger and heavier than females. It has two pairs of mammae, and an eversible anal pouch.

The honey badger is a solitary animal that can be active at any time of day, depending on the location. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin, strength and ferocious defensive abilities. Adults maintain large home ranges, and display scent-marking behavior.

Night time is the best time

It's no surprise, but to see more species, I should really focus on watching the streams in those locations, where is night. I switched from Namib Desert to Gaylord, Michigan and right away there was a new species in bird feeding place, two North American Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, species number 50! 😀

Fourth squirrel species

Saturday morning I made porridge and at the same time watched the Eurasian Red Squirrels moving in the backyard and the video stream from another feeding place, where a Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), species numer 49, also came to breakfast at Lintulauta Live. I have a feeling that at this point, one new species per day is realistic. 😊

Iberian Lynx

 

Finally it came, the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), species number 48! Wow! So beautiful big cat! I've been following the stream about 10 days, perseverance was rewarded. 😁

Lince ibérico DIRECTO Sierra Morena (Cámara 36 | Jaén)

House Mouse

 

I was just about to close the browser and shutdwon the laptop when this House Mouse (Mus musculus) came to screen. Species number 47 to me. 😴

Link to camera: Comedero ERIZOS DIRECTO (Cámara 67 | Las Merindades, Burgos)

Two new species from Kalahari Desert

 

On Thursday evening I was following several live streams, then I noticed an unidentified small antelope in NamibiaCam's Kalahari cam. My friends in Namib Desert cam chat identified it immediately:  Bush Duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), species number 45 to me. Soon after that, some smaller mammal was running around in grass, and soon it was identified as Common Genet (Genetta genetta), species number 46 to me. 

Red Fox, Cape Fox & Cape Hare

 During Wednesday evening I followed couple of streams and suddenly there was a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Madrid, Spain. Soon after that in Nambia, I saw the Cape Fox (Vulpes chama) and right after that two Cape Hares (Lepus capensis) in same location. Cool! 44 species now! 😄

Here's the links to the wildlife streams:

Namibia: Live stream in the Namib Desert

Sendero Vivo DIRECTO Navalagamella (Cámara 50 | Madrid)

Slowing down

Currently it seems that when I reached the 40 species, the speed of getting more new species slowed down. Soon to bed, need to wake up early tomorrow. Well, at least one new species, the European Hare (Lepus europaeus), species number 40, also known as the Brown Hare, in Finnish Lintulauta live / Bird feeder live.

Just when I was about to shut down my laptop, I noticed a new species at EarthCam Live: Snowman Cam - Animals and Wildlife (Gaylord, Michigan), the North American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), species number 41. I had been waiting for it, and now I got it. 😊



American Red Squirrel on the left and Eastern Gray Squirrel (Scirurus carolinensis) on the right. 

Sunday mammals, all hints are welcome!

Well, Waterbuck came from South Africa at noon, next new one was the Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus), species number 36, about at 14.00 from Madikwe, South Africa. After weekend, I think that my original target, 100 species, may be just a dream. Or not, who knows, but it will take a lot of time. So, I changed my target at this point to 60 species.

Furthermore, the majority of wildlife live streams seem to be concentrated in Central and Southern Africa. Europe and North America have some cameras, but so far I haven't found a single wildlife camera from South America, Australia and Asia. If someone knows a wildlife stream in those areas, all hints are welcome!

Multi camera streams:

Wild Africa Live

Live African Wildlife Stream 

Update at 19:35 

Female Lion (Panthera leo), species number 37, with unidentified, pretty big bat at Chyulu Hills, Kenya.

Update at 21:28

From Africa to Europe.

Long-tailed Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), species number 38, at Wales, United Kingdom.

Update at 21:50

From Europe to North America.

Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor), sleeping, species number 39, at Austin, Texas, USA.

Links to last two live streams:

• Texas Backyard Wildlife
  
  
• WildlifeKate

Waterbuck at Madikwe, South Africa

The Wild Africa Live stream has been open in my computer since breakfast. At 12.43 the stream came from Tau Game Lodge, Madikwe, South Africa and I noticed a new, unidentified mammal species in front of my eyes. I quickly took a photo with my cell phone, thats why the photo is not the best quality. I sent the photo to Google Gemini, and asked what the species was. Answer was: Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), and I compared the photo to other photos in internet - identification was right. Nice! This was the species number 35. 😀

Burchell's Zebra

 

Late night mammalwatching - well, nothing new to me, same thing in outdoors, when I go mammalwatching. But now, in Kalahari desert, I suddenly noticed that two zebras had shadow stripes - so they are Burchell's Zebras (Equus quagga burchellii). Cool! But... not a new species for me, just a subspecies.

Cheetah!

On Saturday night, my son Roni and I opened some beers and started watching live African video streams. Shortly after sunset, there were three Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in Chyulu Hills, Kenya. At first, I was really unsure whether they were cheetahs or leopards, as they were lying on the ground drinking water. But when they stood up, I could clearly see their very long legs and white tail tufts. 34 species now. 👍

P.S. In Selinda Reserve, Botswana, and Tembe South Africa, we saw also couple of unidentified bats. In Tembo, Zimbabwe, there was some big predator, maybe a lion or leopard, walking calmly in the forest. And two mongooses came relatively close to the camera, probably Marsh Mongooses.

Saturday morning trip to Africa

In the Saturday morning, I made a tour around the Africa. The Wild Africa Live! 24/7 Safari Cam provides real-time live stream from 30+ wildlife cameras across Africa. In a way it reminded me about my mammalwatching trips by car around my hometown here in Finland, where you either see a lot's of common mammal species - or just birds.

During morning, I saw five new species:

1. Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx) 9:46 four at Chyulu Hills, Kenya
   
   
2. Marsh Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus) aka Water Mongoose 10:12 three at Tembe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. No photo, unfortunately.
   
   
3. White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) aka White Rhino aka Square-lipped Rhinoceros 10:18 at Mantis, Eastern Cape, South Africa
   
   
4. Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) 10:28 three at Hwange, Zimbabwe.
   
   
5. Gemsbok (Oryx gazella), aka South African Oryx, 12:14 at Gondwana, Namibia. 

1.Common Elands

3. White Rhinoceros 

4. Warthogs

5. Gemsbok

So, 33 / 100 species at the moment 😊

Spotted Hyena

 

Species number 28 came at 23:58, from Namibia Desert, when the Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the Laughing Hyena, came to drink, while the Black-backed Jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) was sleeping near.

But now - good night! 😴

Gray Seal from Maine, USA

 

From Spain again back to USA, now to Seal Island, Maine. I visited here at least ten times this evening and saw nothing but birds. But now, finally, there it is, the Gray Seal (Halichoerus grypus), species number 27. I wonder whether I get one more today, 4 minutes left. 😁