John Blake of the University of Missouri, St. Louis has been leading the exciting "camera-trap project" at Tiputini since 2004, in collaboration with Tiputini Biodiversity Station staff members. Still-cameras are strategically placed at 14 stations throughout the reserve, and are triggered by animal movement. Motion sensors enable researchers to detect the presence of wildlife that is not normally seen - i.e., nocturnal and rare animals. Cameras are deployed around-the-clock, and maintained throughout the year, so that researchers can see patterns develop.
The camera trap project, supported by a grant from the National Geographic Society, has generated thousands of amazing wildlife images over the past few years. Among the many animals spotted have been jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, the short-eared rainforest dog, the giant armadillo, and the giant anteater. The images have given researchers the opportunity to study wildlife density and activity with little disturbance to the animals themselves.
The overall goals of the project are:
Researchers have been pleasantly surprised by the results. The cameras have captured at least 8 individual jaguars at Tiputini - more than would have been predicted based on previous data pertaining to jaguar range size. (TBS is approximately 650 hectares in size, or 1500 acres.) Similarly, at least 16 individual ocelots have been spotted. Two cameras are set up at each station, so that ideally, both sides of the animal are captured on film. This is especially useful for identifying large cats, because they can be individually recognized based on their spot patterns.
The researchers' goal is to maintain the project for as long as possible. Because the cameras have now been operating for over three years, a large image database has been compiled - researchers may eventually be able to detect changes in animal populations and perceived threats. Hunting and oil exploration are both serious concerns for wildlife in the area, and dramatic changes in population levels could one day be evident in the images captured.
Thus far, the camera trap project and the images compiled have reinforced the fact that Tiputini is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, and that its continued protection is of the utmost importance.
To learn - and see - more, check out Douglas Zook's accompanying interview with John Blake.