Over the past weeks with Wild Volunteers I have learned a lot of important tools that can be used for conservation. One of the most beneficial tools is camera traps. The way these devices work is by a sensor that triggers movement and captures an image or video of the moment. There are different types of camera traps, but the current and most common one uses infrared for sensor movement.
Although camera traps are most commonly used for trophy hunting (they are also referred as trophy cameras), they are widely used in reserves to capture and see the current status of the wildlife. They are efficient because it does not disturb the environment in any way. This allows amazing shots that may not even be possible with human presence. Personally, I have never seen a Honey Badger or an Aardvark but several on camera traps set by me.
Currently, we have more than five camera traps out in the conservancy trying to capture leopards and to potentially identify each individual. Once we have enough pictures we will be able to distinguish them with their rosettes pattern. Hopefully we will be able to learn how many leopards there are and their territories, for now we have captured one but the flash was too strong for a clear image. I do believe that if we are strategic and focused on this project, we will successfully identify all leopards.