Trail cameras in the rainforest of northern Ecuador are surprising experts with incredible footage of the ecosystem's rich biodiversity.
Mongabay reported that a series of cameras was installed by the local Indigenous community that oversees an ecotourist venture, the Sani Lodge, in Yasuní National Park. The cameras came courtesy of the Florida-based fStop Foundation, and the combination of tech and local expertise is revealing the forest's wonderful natural secrets.
The Sani Lodge is run by the Indigenous Kichwa community. First opened in 2002, it acts as a vital buffer to protect against oil exploitation and other developments that threaten the rainforest. Cameras pick up what the human eye misses, as even the expert gazes of the locals seldom catch the elusive big cats that get surprisingly close to settlements without detection.
"The footage shows that the animals are watching and listening to us," Javier Hualinga, a naturalist guide and former manager of the Sani Isla Kichwa tourism project, told Mongabay.
Of the many marvels, the stars of the show are the park's jaguars. Six individuals have been identified. Distinguishing jaguars is surprisingly easy because they all have uniquely patterned rosettes. They are fearsome hunters with the strongest bite of any large cat on a pound-for-pound basis, but as the cameras found, underneath it all, they're still cats. Just like your own little house panther, they sleep often, groom fastidiously, and love to play with the cameras.
A thriving jaguar population is a good sign of a healthy ecosystem, and the cameras have picked up dozens of prey species and other predators. Pumas (the local name for cougars) are also present. Neither are short of grub, as there are peccaries and tapirs aplenty. The stunning images form a core part of fStop Foundation's goal to harness the power of photography to raise awareness and support for conservation work worldwide.
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Trail cameras are an ideal way to survey an area's wildlife without overtly disturbing their habitats. They provide valuable information about the sometimes surprising residents of a particular area and add to the research of rare and elusive species. Moreover, in this instance, the project is supporting opportunities for the community through eco-tourism. Leaders are also looking to add more cameras to bolster local conservation efforts.
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