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Jennifer George lives in a semi-rural area in San Diego County and used to watch various animals wandering into her yard from a distance until she thought of a genius idea to take a better look. On a hot day in 2019, she decided to get some water for a family of coyote pups and a wholesome hobby took off from there.

She started with a simple metal bowl of water which became pretty popular among local animals as it can get pretty hot in California and it has since been upgraded into a real 'animal thirst trap'—a bigger bowl and a solar fountain. Now a variety of animals come to visit George's backyard every day for a refreshing drink or free pool party. But the best part is that we can explore feathered, furry, and even scaly critters and their behavior from up close thanks to a hidden camera set up outside the fountain. And some of them, like snakes and coyotes, you probably wouldn't like to meet in person anyway!

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#1

Bobcat approaching a water fountain with a camera in a yard, capturing regular visitors in a natural setting.

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Bored Panda asked Jennifer George about her project:

“I live in a semi-rural area in San Diego County on a large property, and used to see animals outside in our yard, so I thought it would be fun to get an outdoor camera to get a better look. I put a bowl of water out there to attract them, because I didn't want to make them dependent on us for food, and because it's very hot and dry here in the summer. Birds started showing up almost immediately to drink and take baths during the day, and at night we'd see other nocturnal animals like skunks, opossums, and bobcats drinking. I was excited to look at the camera every morning to see what showed up," she said.

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    #2

    Coyote drinking from a water fountain captured by a camera in a yard surrounded by greenery and plants.

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    #3

    Water fountain with a small camera in a backyard garden capturing regular visitors near the water feature.

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    The fauna of the State of California may be the most diverse in the United States of America. George has caught on camera skunks, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, squirrels, mice, lizards, hawks, hummingbirds, and several other kinds of birds, and even a dog (not her pet). Check out our list of snaps of videos to see who else came to visit! And if you want to watch all the hypnotizing videos to see how these animals behave, visit George's socials with footage from her Ring camera.

    #4

    Nighttime image of a regular visitor, a wild cat drinking from a water fountain with a camera in the yard.

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    #5

    Two coyotes drinking from a water fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    George said that thanks to her little fountain and a camera, she has been able to encounter animals she'd never seen before.

    "I've lived in Southern California all my life, and some of these animals I've never seen before, like the long-tailed weasel and the western tanager. I love seeing the coyote puppies and the road runners. I'm hoping an owl will stop by one day."

    #6

    Water fountain with camera in a yard attracting regular visitors, including a bird near the water source.

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    #7

    Dog drinking water from a water fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    George's hobby turned out to be more than just an entertaining project to explore local fauna. Besides providing fresh water to wild animals, she has also partnered with Wildlife Care of Southern California to raise awareness and help coyotes who might be suffering from mange due to secondary poisoning from eating rats who were poisoned in traps.

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    #8

    Bird perched on a water fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors in the garden.

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    #9

    Nighttime photo of a regular visitor drinking from a water fountain captured by a yard camera.

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    #10

    Coyote drinking from a water fountain captured by a camera in a yard with regular visitors.

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    Jennifer George shares a similar hobby with Lisa, known as Ostdrossel, who was previously featured on Bored Panda four times. Ostdrossel uses a homemade feeder camera setup which consists of an action camera in a weatherproof box with a macro lens for photographs and a Birdsy camera for videos. So if you are interested in what birds and other unexpected guests visit Lisa's garden in Michigan for food, drink, and baths, make sure to check out the posts here, here, here, and here.

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    #11

    Bird landing on a water fountain captured by a camera in a yard with lush greenery and plants around.

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    #12

    Two yellow birds near a backyard water fountain captured by a yard camera showing regular visitors in nature.

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    #13

    Wild rabbit drinking water from a backyard fountain captured by a camera showing regular visitors to the yard.

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    #14

    Hawk perched on a water fountain in a yard with a camera capturing regular visitors to the outdoor space.

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    #15

    A colorful bird drinking from a water fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    #16

    Night vision view of a water fountain in a yard with small animals as regular visitors captured by a camera.

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    #17

    A chipmunk drinking water from a fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    #18

    Coyote drinking from a water fountain with a camera set up in a yard to capture regular visitors.

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    #19

    Bird spreading its wings while perched on a water fountain in a garden captured by a camera in the yard.

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    #20

    Skunk drinking water from a fountain captured by a yard camera at night showing regular visitors.

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    #21

    Raccoon drinking from a water fountain in a yard captured by a night vision camera for regular visitors.

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    #22

    Bird drinking from a water fountain in a yard captured by a camera showing regular visitors to the garden.

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    #23

    Bird bathing in a water fountain captured by a camera in a yard, showcasing regular visitors to the outdoor space.

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    #24

    Night vision camera captures small animals visiting a water fountain in a yard with rocks and plants nearby.

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    #25

    A bird drinks water from a fountain in a yard monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    #26

    A vulture drinking water from a backyard fountain monitored by a camera capturing regular visitors.

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    #27

    Bird at a water fountain in a yard with a camera capturing regular visitors to the outdoor water feature.

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    #28

    Black bird standing near a water fountain in a yard, part of regular visitors captured by camera outdoors.

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    #29

    Coyote drinking water from a yard fountain captured by a camera monitoring regular wildlife visitors.

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    #30

    Coyote drinking water from a backyard water fountain captured by a night camera in a residential yard.

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