scholarly journals An assessment of carnivore relative abundance and density in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar using remotely-triggered camera traps

Oryx ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Gerber ◽  
Sarah M. Karpanty ◽  
Charles Crawford ◽  
Mary Kotschwar ◽  
Johnny Randrianantenaina
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
National Park ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Domestic Dog ◽  
Likelihood Method ◽  
Ranomafana National Park ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Cryptoprocta Ferox ◽  
Capture Recapture

AbstractDespite major efforts to understand and conserve Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, relatively little is known about the island’s carnivore populations. We therefore deployed 43 camera-trap stations in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar during June–August 2007 to evaluate the efficacy of this method for studying Malagasy carnivores and to estimate the relative abundance and density of carnivores in the eastern rainforest. A total of 755 camera-trap nights provided 1,605 photographs of four endemic carnivore species (fossa Cryptoprocta ferox, Malagasy civet Fossa fossana, ring-tailed mongoose Galidia elegans and broad-striped mongoose Galidictus fasciata), the exotic Indian civet Viverricula indica and the domestic dog Canis familiaris. We identified 38 individual F. fossana and 10 individual C. ferox. We estimated density using both capture-recapture analyses, with a buffer of full mean-maximum-distance-moved, and a spatially-explicit maximum-likelihood method (F. fossana: 3.03 and 2.23 km-2, respectively; C. ferox: 0.15 and 0.17 km-2, respectively). Our estimated densities of C. ferox in rainforest are lower than published estimates for conspecifics in the western dry forests. Within Ranomafana National Park species richness of native carnivores did not vary among trail systems located in secondary, selectively-logged and undisturbed forest. These results provide the first assessment of carnivore population parameters using camera-traps in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar.

scholarly journals Long-term monitoring of margays (Leopardus wiedii): Implications for understanding low detection rates

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247536
Author(s):  
Bart J. Harmsen ◽  
Nicola Saville ◽  
Rebecca J. Foster
Keyword(s):  
Detection Rate ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Exclusive Territories ◽  
Carnivore Species ◽  
Density Population

Population assessments of wide-ranging, cryptic, terrestrial mammals rely on camera trap surveys. While camera trapping is a powerful method of detecting presence, it is difficult distinguishing rarity from low detection rate. The margay (Leopardus wiedii) is an example of a species considered rare based on its low detection rates across its range. Although margays have a wide distribution, detection rates with camera traps are universally low; consequently, the species is listed as Near Threatened. Our 12-year camera trap study of margays in protected broadleaf forest in Belize suggests that while margays have low detection rate, they do not seem to be rare, rather that they are difficult to detect with camera traps. We detected a maximum of 187 individuals, all with few or no recaptures over the years (mean = 2.0 captures/individual ± SD 2.1), with two-thirds of individuals detected only once. The few individuals that were recaptured across years exhibited long tenures up to 9 years and were at least 10 years old at their final detection. We detected multiple individuals of both sexes at the same locations during the same survey, suggesting overlapping ranges with non-exclusive territories, providing further evidence of a high-density population. By studying the sparse annual datasets across multiple years, we found evidence of an abundant margay population in the forest of the Cockscomb Basin, which might have been deemed low density and rare, if studied in the short term. We encourage more long-term camera trap studies to assess population status of semi-arboreal carnivore species that have hitherto been considered rare based on low detection rates.

scholarly journals Fauna diversity in the southern part of the Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Gia Lai province

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-151
Author(s):  
Nguyen Ai Tam ◽  
Nguyen Van Tay ◽  
Nguyen Thi Kim Yen ◽  
Ha Thang Long
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Set Up ◽  
First Time

Kon Ka Kinh National Park (KKK NP) is a priority zone for biodiversity protection in Vietnam as well as ASEAN. In order to survey the current fauna species diversity in the southern part of the KKK NP, we conducted camera trapping surveys in 2017, 2018, and 2019. 28 infrared camera traps were set up on elevations between 1041 to 1497 meters. In total, there were 360 days of survey using camera trap. As result, we recorded a total of 27 animal species of those, five species are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2020). The survey results showed a high richness of wildlife in the southern park region, and it also revealed human disturbance to wildlife in the park. The first-time camera trap was used for surveying wildlife diversity in the southern region of the KKK NP. Conducting camera trap surveys in the whole KKK NP is essential for monitoring and identifying priority areas for wildlife conservation in the national park.

scholarly journals PRESENCE of SUMATRAN ELEPHANTS (Elephas maximus sumatranus) in THE ECOTONE AREA of SEMBILANG NATIONAL PARK (TNSTNS) and PALM OIL PLANTATION in SEMENANJUNG BANYUASIN SEMENANJUNG, SOUTH SUMATRA PROVINCE

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dafid Pirnanda ◽  
Indra Yustian ◽  
Zulkifli Dahlan ◽  
Winda Indrianti ◽  
Ina Aprilia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palm Oil ◽  
National Park ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Elephas Maximus ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Young Females ◽  
Adult Females ◽  
Data Archives

A research to monitor the presence of Sumatran elephant between two ecosystem in Sembilang National Park (TNSTNS) and palm palm oilplantation has been conducted on March until June 2019 at Semenanjung Banyuasin Semenanjung, South Sumatra. This research aimed to verify the presence of Sumatran elephantpopulation and to estimate the number of elephant individuals in the area. The methods used weredirect observation during the day and indirect monitoring through installation of Camera Traps for 1 month. In addition, secondary data was collected in the form of data archives from the palm oil plantation records and interviews with affected plantation workers. From direct observation, Wedirect encountered one elephant individual and fifteen signs of elephant activities, such as sounds, footprints, and feces. From camera trap photos, we identified and verified onepopulation of Sumatran Elephants which consisted of at least twenty-two individuals with composition as follows: eight adult females, two young females, three infant females, and nine males. The ecotone area between TNS and palm palm oil plantation should be designated as a new habitat patchof Sumatran elephant that needs to be managed appropriately in order to maintain the designation of the area as a conservation area.

scholarly journals Hunting patterns in tropical forests adjoining the Hkakaborazi National Park, north Myanmar

Oryx ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhu Rao ◽  
Than Myint ◽  
Than Zaw ◽  
Saw Htun
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
National Park ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Major Threat ◽  
Wildlife Populations ◽  
Capture Rates

Hunting for subsistence and trade constitute a major threat to wildlife populations within and outside protected areas in Myanmar. We examined hunting patterns in a forested landscape adjoining the Hkakaborazi National Park in north Myanmar with the aim of generating recommendations to manage hunting. The results described here focus on two issues: the significance of proximity to settlements and markets for prey abundance, and the influence of relative abundance and intrinsic preference on prey offtake. We used strip transect and camera trap surveys to generate relative abundance indices and overall encounter/capture rates for commonly hunted species at four sites that differed in their proximity to settlements and large trading towns. Questionnaires were used to obtain meal records and information on hunting. Encounter and capture rates for hunted species appear to be inversely related to proximity to villages as well as to large, commercial towns. Hunting is indiscriminate, with offtake determined largely by relative abundance rather than intrinsic preference or legislation. Specific management and policy recommendations include the need to monitor the impacts of hunting on vulnerable species, the demarcation of no-take areas, and modification of the legal framework for wildlife conservation.

scholarly journals Using local knowledge and camera traps to investigate occurrence and habitat preference of an Endangered primate: the endemic dryas monkey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Daniel Alempijevic ◽  
John A. Hart ◽  
Terese B. Hart ◽  
Kate M. Detwiler
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
National Park ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Abstract The Endangered dryas monkey Cercopithecus dryas, endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is one of Africa's most enigmatic primates. The discovery of a dryas monkey killed by a hunter in the buffer zone of Lomami National Park in 2014 prompted field research on the species’ distribution, habitat use and stratum preference. We used local knowledge to determine the distribution of this species and to select sites for camera-trap surveys in Lomami National Park and its buffer zone. We employed a multi-strata (0–29 m) camera-trap placement technique to determine habitat use at Camp Bartho in Lomami National Park and Bafundo Forest in the Park's buffer zone. We confirmed the occurrence of the dryas monkey at seven locations over a total area of 3,453 km2, in both the Park and its buffer zone. Dryas monkeys were detected most frequently (2.22 events/100 trap-days) in disturbed areas of Bafundo Forest and less in mature forest in Camp Bartho (0.82 events/100 trap-days). Dryas monkeys appear to prefer structurally complex understories and forest edges. We found that camera traps at 2–10 m above ground over at least 365 trap-days are required to determine if the species is present. We recommend utilizing local knowledge and using this species-specific camera-trap method in other areas of the central Congo basin to determine the wider distribution of the dryas monkey.

scholarly journals Large- and medium-bodied terrestrial mammals of the Upper Berbice region of Guyana

Check List ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1229-1237
Author(s):  
Meshach A. Pierre ◽  
Leroy Ignacio ◽  
Evi A. D. Paemelaere
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Eira Barbara ◽  
Brocket Deer

Large mammals are key contributors to forest ecosystems globally, but Neotropical mammal populations are understudied. We employed remotely triggered camera traps and track surveys to assess the mammal community in the newly accessible upper Berbice region of Guyana. In a cumulative 2,821 trap nights between two camps and 14 km of track surveys we recorded 18 species of mammals. Camera trap records showed that Red-Rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina (Linnaeus, 1758)) featured the highest relative abundance at both camps, while Tayra (Eira barbara (Linnaeus, 1758)), Amazonian Brown Brocket Deer (Mazama nemorivaga (F. Cuvier, 1817)), Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)) and Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus (Kerr, 1792)) the lowest. We also report naïve occupancy estimates. Detections of threatened and disturbance sensitive species indicate that the study site has a high biodiversity value. We provide recommendations for further study in this recently disturbed ecosystem and other understudied regions of Guyana.

scholarly journals Ecological Relationships in the Serengeti National Park

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kole Brownstein
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
National Park ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Serengeti National Park ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Ecological Relationships ◽  
Dramatic Shift ◽  
Associated Species

AbstractThe use of camera traps in animal ecology has transformed the field by allowing a greater quantity of detailed observations with limited human interference. One of largest camera trap studies published to date is from the Serengeti National Park (SNP) in Tanzania, East Africa which deployed 225 camera traps and obtained over 1.2 million pictures. This paper will focus primarily on the top predator of the Serengeti, the lion, and how it affects and is affected by prey, subordinate predators and the dramatic shift in the seasons. I asked the following three questions to better understand species relationships in the SNP: 1) Do the seasons in the SNP have an effect on the RAB of lions? 2) Does the presence or absence of lions have an effect on the RAB of hyenas in the wet season? 3) Does the presence/absence of Thompson gazelles (Eudorcas thomsonii) and impalas (Aepyceros melampus) in the wet season have an effect on the RAB of lions? During the dry and wet season of 2012 in the SNP there did not appear to be a change in the relative abundance of lions (Fig. 1), nor did lion relative abundance affect hyenas. The lions might possibly alter their diet during the dry seasons to include non-migratory species and choose not to change their territory on a season to season basis. Based on these findings research should focus on how the lions adapt to the changes in prey abundance during the wet and dry season. This preliminary analysis of the ecological dynamics of lions and associated species in the SNP is intriguing and yet raises significantly more questions than it has answered. Additional research surrounding the effects of yearly migration on the lions home territory, diet, and species interactions should be investigated more thoroughly, to greater understand the ecological relationships in the SNP.

scholarly journals How many giraffes are there? A comparison of abundance estimators at Ongava Game Reserve, Namibia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Bonenfant ◽  
Ken Stratford ◽  
Stephanie Periquet
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Detection Probability ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Population Abundance ◽  
Visit Frequency ◽  
Game Reserve ◽  
Capture Recapture

Camera-traps are a versatile and widely adopted tool to collect biological data in wildlife conservation and management. If estimating population abundance from camera-trap data is the primarily goal of many projects, what population estimator is suitable for such data needs to be investigated. We took advantage of a 21 days camera-trap monitoring on giraffes at Onvaga Game Reserve, Namibia to compare capture-recapture (CR), saturation curves and N-mixture estimators of population abundance. A marked variation in detection probability of giraffes was observed in time and between individuals. Giraffes were also less likely to be detected after they were seen at a waterhole with cameras (visit frequency of f = 0.25). We estimated population size to 119 giraffes with a Cv = 0.10 with the best CR estimator. All other estimators we a applied over-estimated population size by ca. -20 to >+80%, because they did not account for the main sources of heterogeneity in detection probability. We found that modelling choices was much less forgiving for N-mixture than CR estimators. Double counts were problematic for N-mixture models, challenging the use of raw counts at waterholes to monitor giraffes abundance.

Detectability and activity patterns of sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) in Baw Baw National Park, Victoria

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Davies ◽  
Wendy Wright ◽  
Fiona E. Hogan ◽  
Hugh Davies
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Occupancy Modelling ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Time Stamps ◽  
Sambar Deer

Introduced sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) are increasing in abundance and distribution across much of south-eastern Australia and causing damage to native ecosystems. However, the current paucity of knowledge surrounding many aspects of sambar deer ecology is limiting our capacity to make informed management decisions, and properly gauge the extent of deer impacts. Here we investigate correlates of sambar deer detectability and describe activity patterns of sambar deer in Baw Baw National Park (BBNP) to inform control operations. Camera traps were deployed in BBNP between October and December 2016. We used an occupancy modelling framework to investigate sambar deer detectability and camera trap record time stamps to determine sambar deer activity patterns. Sambar deer were found to be significantly more detectable near roads and in areas of sparse tree density and displayed strong crepuscular activity patterns. Control operations carried out along roads at dawn and dusk could be effective, at least in the short term. Likewise, aerial culling could be an effective control option for sambar deer populations in BBNP. This study highlights the utility of camera trap data to inform the application of control operations for cryptic invasive species.

scholarly journals Camera trapping rare and threatened avifauna in west-central Sumatra

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoan Dinata ◽  
Agung Nugroho ◽  
Iding Achmad Haidir ◽  
Matthew Linkie
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
West Central ◽  
Routine Monitoring ◽  
Kerinci Seblat National Park ◽  
Central Sumatra

AbstractTropical forests are becoming increasingly degraded and fragmented by logging, which can affect the survival of forest bird species in different ways. In this study, we present avifauna data collected from a monitoring programme in west-central Sumatra that set camera traps in three study areas with different habitat types, levels of degradation and protection status. From 5,990 camera trap-nights, 248 independent bird photographs were recorded, comprising four orders and nine species, including three endemic species. The Great Argus Pheasant (Argusianus argus) was recorded in all study areas and most frequently (n = 202 photographs), followed by the threatened Salvadori's Pheasant (Lophura inornata). The greatest diversity of bird species (five) and abundance index (1.44 bird photographs/100 trap-nights) was recorded from a primary hill-submontane forest site located inside Kerinci Seblat National Park (KSNP) bordering degraded forest in a former logging concession recently repatriated into KSNP. However, inside a primary-selectively logged hill-submontane forest site spread over KSNP and an ex-logging concession, a Sumatran Ground Cuckoo (Carpococcyx viridis) was photographed. This species is noteworthy because prior to this study it had only been documented once since 1916. It is therefore crucial to use the camera trap results to increase the protection status for the ground cuckoo area. This has already happened in the other two study areas, where camera trap data have been used to reclassify the areas as Core Zones, the highest level of protection inside KSNP. This study illustrates how routine monitoring can have wider benefits through recording, and conserving, threatened and endemic non-target species in unexpected habitats that might not otherwise have been surveyed.

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