A local homeowner has created a series of YouTube videos cataloging the animal encounters captured on his Eugene property.
Titled “Night-Time Wildlife Reports," the videos offer a glimpse into the variety of wildlife that live in and around the Blanton Ridge area in South Eugene.
The videos’ creator, David Dessert, said he first used trail cameras to investigate what had been getting into his hanging bird feeders. After the footage came back identifying the culprit as a hungry black bear, Dessert became hooked on the idea of capturing the wildlife around his home.
Some of the critters caught on camera include raccoons, gray foxes, and even a rare Northern flying squirrel. However, Dessert says his favorite interactions have been between his pet cat and a curious black bear.
“If the camera’s pointing towards the house, you can sometimes see my cat in the window, looking at the bear,” said Dessert.
To create the videos, Dessert compiles the best of recent captures and tallies up data about the frequency of each animal’s visit. Then, he edits the clips along with his own narration to create the brief reports.
The monthly videos have garnered thousands of views and can be found on Dessert’s YouTube channel.
