There was something strange going on in Rodney Holbrook’s backyard shed.
For several months, someone — or something — had been apparently tidying up after the 75-year-old retiree. Every morning when he checked on his workbench, miscellaneous items had been cleared away and placed in a small box nearby.
At first, it was some bird food and nuts being moved around. Then, a few screws he had left out mysteriously appeared in the box.
Mr. Holbrook, a passionate wildlife photographer who lives near the town of Builth Wells in Wales, had his suspicions over the identity of the meticulous helper — it certainly wasn’t his wife. To investigate, he set up a night-vision camera and caught the mysterious visitor.
“Lo and behold, I got a video of the mouse,” he said. “Tidying up for me.”
In videos captured by Mr. Holbrook, a small mouse carries clothes pegs, cups and even cable ties to the box, with an enviable focus. A stick more than twice its length is no problem. A cork goes neatly into the pile, as do lids.
“I’m just awed by it, really,” Mr. Holbrook, a retired postal worker, said. “Every day I take it all back out again — and it’s all back in.”
