Why cAmerA trAps?
By Nakedi Maputla, leopard researcher, Limpopo Heartland
C
amera traps are one of many methods
for monitoring and conducting
inventories of species. Researchers often
use indirect methods to estimate wildlife
population densities, such as kill sites and
scat, prey availability, and interviews with
local people. The challenge with these
methods is that it is difficult to attain
precision. Physically trapping and marking
wildlife to estimate numbers, meanwhile,
is extremely labor intensive.
My own research is on leopards. Since
leopards have natural markings, it is possible
to use camera traps and use mark-and-
recapture techniques from camera images to
help estimate leopard density. This method
is especially suitable for secretive animals
that are difficult to spot. Camera traps can
be expensive. They are easily destroyed by
animals, fire, or floods. But by using them,
one can save a lot of time while maximizing
efforts to locate as many animals as possible.
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