Okay there is a little red light that comes on when it records. I think that is what the animals are seeing. The light for the camera part is infrared. You can't see it at all with the naked eye. They are just seeing the red light flashing.
When I've used my Nightshot camera I can see the beam from the IR lights. However, I've been around it hundreds of times in the dark and the only thing I can see is the recording light.