Camera traps show wealth of wildlife in Bolivia's threatened Beni savannah07/05/2013 15:59:07 Great footage of giant anteater wallowing
May 2013. Recent Glasgow University expeditions to Bolivia's Beni savannah have produced important survey data on the birds and mammals of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve. The research teams also captured fascinating camera-trap footage including a great sequence of a Giant Anteater enjoying a nocturnal wallow.
World Land Trust (WLT) is currently raising funds to extend Barba Azul Nature Reserve, an area of extraordinary biodiversity managed by WLT's Bolivian conservation partner Armonía.
Joanne Kingsbury led Glasgow University's first research expedition to Barba Azul Nature Reserve in Bolivia's Beni savanna in 2009. A student of zoology at Glasgow University (GU), Joanne went on to assist three more expeditions to Barba Azul between 2010 and 2012. In April Joanne shared her experiences of the reserve with Ruth Canning, WLT's Conservation Programmes Manager (Americas Region) and WLT Council Member, Kevin Cox. In general, bird numbers seem to be fluctuating, which is a concern, but mammal populations, on the other hand, seem to be either stable or actually increasing.
Remote and undisturbed - Buy an Acre Fund
These forest islands are crucial habitat for a host of species particularly the endangered Blue-throated Macaw. Larger islands are important to the macaws for foraging, and smaller ones are thought to be safe havens for roosting and nesting.
Extending the reserve will offer more potential breeding areas for the species, as well as additional areas of tall grass savannah, vital for several of the reserve's threatened grassland birds.
"The Beni is phenomenal for wildlife, a unique endemic habitat, found nowhere else in the world and we need to protect as much of this habitat as we can now before it's too late," says Joanne who fears that more road and bridge building would be disastrous. "If better roads went in, that would be the beginning of the end for the habitat and its wildlife."
The Motacu palm grows on Beni's forest islands. These occur on areas of high ground where tree roots escape seasonal flooding. The islands vary in size from a few square metres to square kilometres and the difference in elevation between flooded regions and forest is often only a metre or so.
Blue-throated Macaw - Critically Endangered
Its range overlaps with that of the Blue and Yellow Macaw. Both macaw species are frequently spotted foraging in Motacu palms on the larger forest islands of the reserve during the day. At dusk, both species congregate at a number of specific pre-roost aggregation sites and then fly off in large groups, presumably to roost in areas outside the reserve. The islands appear to be important congregation or ‘stop-off' points for macaws coming in from other islands at dusk. Blue throat feathers were found in some of the smaller islands, which raises the question could these be roost sites?
Worryingly, the expedition surveys show a decrease in Blue-throated Macaw numbers from 103 in 2010 to 52 in 2011.
With subsequent funds raised via grants from bodies such as the Royal Geographical Society and Carnegie Trust for Scotland, the expedition team now has 26 brand new digital traps. The digital traps have captured some phenomenal shots and videos of the reserve's more elusive wildlife, and are enabling population trends to be monitored.
The traps are positioned in pairs along bush trails, near watering holes or in areas where animal signs are present (tracks, scat etc).
Top cats - Puma, ocelot and Pampas cat
Likewise, images of Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) were first captured in 2010. On a positive note, adult ocelot populations seem to have increased on the reserve with: 2 individuals recorded in 2010, 3 in 2011 and 4 2012
In 2012 the Near Threatened (IUCN 2013) Pampas Cat (Leopardus colocol) was recorded on camera-trap for the first time. The Pampas Cat is currently in decline across the South American continent due to habitat loss to make way for agriculture and stock grazing. This record of the pampas cat is important, both for the reserve and for the Beni, as it has not been formally recorded in this region before.
Giant Anteaters and other mammals
Savannah passerines in decline
Protecting stands of tall grassland on reserves like the Barba Azul will therefore be paramount for protecting these endangered birds.