Pixelated pathologies: Camera trapping as a tool for monitoring wildlife health

In a world of emerging diseases that threaten both wildlife conservation and public health, finding innovative ways to monitor animal populations has never been more necessary. Traditional methods often involve capturing or handling animals, which is stressful, costly, and logistically challenging. But what if we could detect diseases without disturbing an animal? A promising solution for this challenge is the use of camera traps. This … Continue reading Pixelated pathologies: Camera trapping as a tool for monitoring wildlife health

Monitoramento de longo prazo em florestas de várzea na Amazônia com gestão de base comunitária revela algumas das maiores densidades de onças-pintadas do mundo

O monitoramento de longo prazo mostra que as florestas alagáveis amazônicas (várzea) podem sustentar altas densidades de onças-pintadas, mas a aparente estabilidade pode mascarar um declínio populacional subjacente, destacando a necessidade de esforços contínuos de conservação diante do aumento de eventos climáticos extremos. As onças-pintadas são o maior felino das Américas e desempenham um papel fundamental na manutenção do funcionamento dos ecossistemas. Em grande parte … Continue reading Monitoramento de longo prazo em florestas de várzea na Amazônia com gestão de base comunitária revela algumas das maiores densidades de onças-pintadas do mundo

Long-term monitoring in community-managed Amazonian floodplains reveals some of the world’s highest jaguar densities

Long-term monitoring shows that Amazonian floodplain forests (várzea) can support high jaguar densities, but apparent stability may mask underlying population decline, highlighting the need for sustained conservation efforts under increasing climate extremes. Jaguars are the largest felid in the Americas and play a key role in maintaining ecosystem function. Across much of their range, populations have declined due to habitat loss, hunting, and human–wildlife conflict. … Continue reading Long-term monitoring in community-managed Amazonian floodplains reveals some of the world’s highest jaguar densities

Review of camera trap images by artificial intelligence produce accurate models for rapid decision-making

The use of remote game cameras to photograph elusive wildlife is one of the most commonly employed techniques in ecology and conservation, and is used to answer questions regarding population status of many threatened and endangered species. As the use of this technique expands in size and scope, and projects routinely generate millions of images, the time it takes to identify species in photos has … Continue reading Review of camera trap images by artificial intelligence produce accurate models for rapid decision-making

Turning camera-trap overload into actionable wildlife monitoring in African rainforests

To support adaptive management, Magaldi et al. have developed a deep-learning model to analyse ground-level camera traps in African tropical forests. A familiar problem If you work in wildlife research or protected-area management, you’ll know the feeling: camera traps are brilliant at “being there” 24/7 in dense forest, but they come with a hidden cost—an avalanche of photos and videos that someone has to sort, … Continue reading Turning camera-trap overload into actionable wildlife monitoring in African rainforests

Don’t forget the little guys: improving monitoring efforts for African small carnivores

Small carnivores are ecologically important species and key indicators of environmental change. However, for many of these species, we lack robust information on their conservation status, geographic distribution, and tolerance to anthropogenic threats. In this post, researchers from Nelson Mandela University share their experience with an emerging camera trapping method aimed at improving monitoring efforts for African small carnivores. For a wide array of species, … Continue reading Don’t forget the little guys: improving monitoring efforts for African small carnivores

What determines the rarity of large carnivores in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia?

Asfaw et al. investigate the presence of large carnivores in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia and share their experience. Populations of large carnivores have been declining in Ethiopia for many years due to a range of factors including reduced prey populations, pressure from neighbouring human settlements, habitat fragmentation and loss, and low political interest in conservation. Yet large carnivores, including the African wild dog, cheetah, … Continue reading What determines the rarity of large carnivores in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia?

The story behind the research: “Combining detection dogs and camera traps improves cheetah monitoring”

Tim Hofmann and Stijn Verschueren from the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Otjiwarongo, Namibia investigate how to effectively monitor cheetah populations. Cheetahs are Africa’s most endangered big cats, with fewer than 7,100 individuals left in the wild, scattered across less than 9% of their historical range. These estimates are largely based on expert opinions and few well-studied populations. In many parts of the cheetah’s range, we … Continue reading The story behind the research: “Combining detection dogs and camera traps improves cheetah monitoring”

Grizzly bears and wolves avoid busy hiking trails more than previously thought

Peter Thompson explains how, alongside colleagues, the spatial distribution and interactions of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), grey wolves (Canis lupus), and humans within the central Canadian Rocky Mountains were monitored and assessed in their latest study. Human recreation and wildlife The Bow River Valley in Alberta, Canada is a global hotspot for outdoor recreation, attracting millions of visitors annually to enjoy the spectacular landscapes of … Continue reading Grizzly bears and wolves avoid busy hiking trails more than previously thought

Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes

Alice Bernard and co-authors describe how they have jointly used local ecological knowledge and camera trap data. With hindsight, they discuss how involving local people in research projects can enhance conservation efforts in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR), South Africa. The Garden Route National Park (GRNP), in the eponym Biosphere Reserve, is one of the only truly unfenced National Parks in South Africa. The … Continue reading Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes