Open the wildlife camera with the key or controller button assigned in your settings, hold the animal in the viewfinder until the green indicator appears, then reopen the animal journal to confirm the entry was recorded. Free Photo Mode frames scenery; the Safari Camera is what registers a species. The first photo of each species pays a one-time Pebble reward.
On this page
Enter camera mode and register the animal
- Open the camera with the key or controller button you assigned in your settings. Free Photo Mode opens for composing scenery; the Safari Camera is the one that registers a species in the compendium.
- Point the camera at the animal and hold it in the viewfinder until the green indicator appears. If it does not appear, move closer and re-centre.
- Take the picture.
- Reopen the animal journal and check that the entry is there. A shot that did not register will not have added the species.
The same build reworked the camera's collision logic, so a camera that clipped into terrain is already a fixed thing.
Which species sits in which area
| Area | Species recorded | Confirmed spawn |
|---|---|---|
Emerald Lake | 12 | Sasquatch — one mapped spawn point, at night and in dry weather |
Gimli Ridge | 11 | Grizzly Bear — three mapped spawn points, daytime and dry |
Asgard Mountain | 10 | None published yet |
Tassili n'Ajjer Desert | 8 | None published yet |
Aurès Mountains | 8 | None published yet |
Community species leads
Players report sightings that are worth a detour but are not confirmed spawn points:
- Mountain goat — Gimli Ridge.
- Beaver — Eagles Perch and forested riverbanks.
- Grey wolf — near the East River trail on the Boulder Crest lodge approach.
- Black bear and eagles — mentioned often, but no reliable location has been published for either.
Treat these as leads rather than coordinates, and check the reward panel on the objective before driving a long way for one animal.
Which photos pay Pebbles
The first photo of each animal species pays a one-time Pebble reward, in the same group as crates, cabins and scenic points. Only the first one counts — once a species is in your journal that reward is spent, so keep moving towards species you have not met rather than re-photographing the same grizzly.
If a photo looks like it registered but your Pebble total did not move, that was a bug: build 26.10.16 (October 16, 2026) fixed the Pebble increment counter glitching when photographing animals. Update the game before you count on photo rewards, and read the reward panel on the objective if a payment still looks missing. The Pebbles guide covers the other sources.
Photography achievements
| Achievement | What it needs |
|---|---|
Say Cheese! | Photograph your first animal |
Wildlife Enthusiast | Photograph 20 animals |
Birdwatcher | Photograph at least 5 bird species |
Naturalist | Complete a region's wildlife compendium |
Close Encounter | Photograph a mammal from less than 10 meters away |
Rare Encounter | Photograph a rare animal |
A Tale Come True | Photograph a legendary animal |
Night Watcher | Photograph a nocturnal animal |
Making Memories | Take 20 photos |
Sources
- Wildlife Photography Guide: Where to Find Missing Animals and Complete Your Journal — the camera entry path, the green indicator, the journal check and the community sightings.
- OverTheHillDB wildlife guide — the Safari Camera, the compendium step and the confirmed spawn points.
- OverTheHillDB regions — the species count in each of the five areas.
- OverTheHillDB achievements — the photography achievement conditions.
- First Post-Launch Update, build 26.10.16 — the Pebble counter fix for animal photos and the camera collision rework.