An accidental influencer
How Viv Klingbeil’s love of nature became a hobby adored by thousands
It all started with a Christmas gift in 2004: Viv Klingbeil CPA, CGA received a trail camera from her husband, Mark, in the hopes of capturing photos of the elusive wildlife on their property in the Rocky Mountain Foothills. For years, they’d been told animals such as bears didn’t roam the area, but the evidence said otherwise. When they found the door of a vintage bus on their property kicked in, they knew a very large animal had been there. Once they began to install cameras around their 160 acres, they soon had proof they aren’t the only ones who call their property home.
Fast forward 17 years, and Viv has more than 12,000 Instagram followers marveling at her trail camera shots of Alberta’s wildlife. “I didn’t expect it to get so big,” she says. “I love seeing the animals. I think it’s cool to see what they’re doing, and so I started sharing because I get so much joy out of seeing them.”
Before the trail cameras, Viv spent her free time on hiking trails across the province, capturing beautiful pictures of wildflowers and animals. Spending time in nature has always been a way for her to rejuvenate and maintain wellness in her life, but it came as a surprise when the pictures she captured for pleasure and curiosity caught the attention of others
In the fall of 2018, her trail camera captured a female cougar coming around a corner with what Viv believes was an injured front leg. However, some of her Instagram followers misinterpreted the cougar’s injury. Soon, Viv’s innocuous picture went viral and was shared across the internet as a fierce cougar ready to attack. She quickly worked to clear up the confusion, but that one photo sealed the deal and catapulted Viv to her current status as a go-to source for wildlife trail pictures.
On a slow week, she downloads around 3,000 images, and when the animals are active, it’s closer to 10,000. The pictures are a look into the beautiful diversity of Alberta’s wildlife and an opportunity to see real-time images of animals like skunks and deer, and even less-commonly-seen foxes, bears, and lynx.
The community Viv has formed from sharing her trail camera pictures has been one of the most rewarding parts of this experience. Viv’s personal rule is that she responds to every single comment, and in turn, she reaches out to her followers for information and education—especially on Twitter. Although she has fewer followers on Twitter (about 4,000), many of them have a background or passion in science, biology, and animals.
“The Twitter community is really cool in that if I ever have a question about what’s going on in a picture or if an animal’s behaviour is normal, I can just ask,” says Viv. In early April 2021, she tweeted an image of what she thought might be a flying squirrel but wasn’t sure since they hadn’t been spotted on the property for many years. A few dozen comments later, her knowledgeable followers confirmed flying squirrels were indeed back in the area.
Viv is grateful for the respite nature has given her throughout her career, especially the years when she was raising her four children. And while she can’t guarantee your pastime will make you famous on social media, she does believe it will help you find balance in your everyday life. “Early on I decided the whole point of having a profession was to be able to earn money to have a comfortable life,” says Viv. “I wanted to have time to enjoy my life and to find hobbies and activities to take me away from work.”
Photo gallery
Enjoy a few shots from Viv’s trail cameras, including the cougar photo that made her go viral! Find more on her Instagram.
