Choice of Creatures to spy on with a Rongland NV-760D series Night Vision Monocular

Hi Folks,

As the title above suggests, what would be the best kind of animal in South Africa to get Infrared Photos/ videos of with my newly acquired Night Vision Monocular? I got it from a friend and it needs a service but I plan on using it in my local reserve here in Hermanus, in South Africa’s Western Cape province in about 2 to 3 weeks time (the start of our summer in earnest). I want to mainly use it for anti-poaching purposes (i.e gathering evidence of illegal activity), but am totally open to recording any unique nocturnal animals and birds I can sneak up on or lie in wait for!

Any suggestions? :slightly_smiling_face:

Knowing nothing about your location or your new tools, I’d say, photo anything you can find that looks interesting and potentially identifiable to you. There are so many new things to report!

I’ll start with Aardvark…

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I will be so very curious to learn how this works out for you.

I considered buying some nightvision binocs years ago to go out and look for lost cats at night. I was just not convinced they would work that well in the city with smaller animals, though.

Let us know what size of critters you find and at what distance.

If I was going to start experimenting, I might start at the local trash depots or middens - something known to attract nocturnal scavengers.

Hey, and do be ~careful~ of yourself in areas attractive to poachers and other illegal pursuits.

You might be able to get an inexpensive night vision here: https://www.goodwillfinds.com/search/?q=night%20vision
I recently bought a used camera, in excellent condition, there for much less than I’ve seen the same model elsewhere.

Wow, those do look pretty affordable. Thank you! Years ago, the least expensive ones I saw were about $600 at Bass Outlet. We have deer, bobcats, and coyotes that walk around here at night. It would be fun to see them directly, instead of just on the security cam.

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If you’re talking about walking into open bush at night, I would immediately begin by familiarizing yourself with the local reptiles, particularly venomous snakes in your area and how to avoid them in the dark, especially if you’re in the Western Cape.

I’m not familiar with which specific species, if any, are nocturnal, but I doubt much more could ruin a field trip faster than a bite from a Cape Cobra, or the other half dozen highly-venomous snakes attested in the region.

Pro-tip: Poach the poachers before they poach you. A couple rounds fired above an occupied vehicle or into the adjacent trees/foliage nearby, from the opposite end of the field usually puts the fear of god into most folk.
If you’re just doing surveillance, do not let your presence be known, and by no means let them see your face or any way to recognize your identity.

All that said, lots of mammals are nocturnal in nature and some can only observed in unique ways at night, especially near communal areas, like a watering tank or a creek, you never know what you might see, or what it is accompanied by.

be careful and share your findings :]

that’ll be a tall order, but I’ll give it a shot :grin:

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