Excerpt from this story from the
Africa Wildlife Foundation:
In recent years, camera traps — discreet motion-triggered or time-lapse cameras — have transformed wildlife research and conservation, especially for scientists and conservationists mapping wildlife in remote areas. These cameras enable researchers to collect photographic evidence of rarely spotted and globally endangered species with ease and minimal disturbance to the wildlife or environment.
Also known as game cameras or trail cameras, camera traps are devices used to record wildlife activity. These digital monitoring tools capture images at particular intervals or by sensing movement. In addition, some cameras have video capabilities. They work day and night, allowing scientists to observe animals behaving naturally in their habitats when not under people’s viewing. While camera traps get plenty of unusable data, such as images of wind-swept grasses, they also record important images that can help scientists, researchers, and conservationists.
The prevalence of elephant calves in camera trap images, for instance, could mean elephants are breeding, and over time conservationists can use this information to model the species’ population dynamics in that particular area. In addition, during the dry season, camera traps can help determine whether wildlife is thriving or not, or even identify diseases or signs of health issues in animals.
For instance, in 2019, when researchers recorded a mystery skin condition in 13 giraffes at Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ruaha National Parks, they used camera trap images to quantify the severity of the disease.
