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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!

More info: Instagram | tiktok.com

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.

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.

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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."

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Gemma
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't recognise these birds. I like the head feathers on this one. Makes me think of a peacock.

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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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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, herehere, and here.

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rustic raven
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey there I thought you had fish in the pond I knew that cat would get before me ;=]]

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IHaveADream
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks like a very smart bird for the wild. But it doesn't look like it will do any harm to you. But if you compare this bird to an eagle, then it'll be more deadly.

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Crepitus
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This appears to be some species of Oriole, not sure which though. I will look into the species. (Update) I've done some research and I believe this to be either a Bullock's Oriole or a Hooded Oriole, I personally believe it to be the latter option.

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