A national park in Africa has reported new thriving populations of leopards and wild dogs thanks to years of conservation efforts.
Trail cameras in Kafue National Park in Zambia recorded 95 individual leopards in 2024, according to Mongabay, making it one of the highest densities of leopards in Southern Africa. There are eight recognized leopard subspecies, with some designated as vulnerable or endangered.
"We started our camera trapping efforts in 2022 to establish baseline estimates of leopard populations. We are now at a stage where we have enough data to be able to start looking into what variables are creating such an environment for leopards to thrive in," said Chisomo M'hango, a nonprofit field ecologist who works in the park, per Mongabay.
The trail cameras are also monitoring multiple packs of African wild dogs, including one new pack this year. Previously, just one male and one female were confirmed to live in the national park. The dogs often fall prey to lions and snare traps.
"It's just a pack of five, but the males in that pack are the biggest wild dogs I've seen in Kafue," M'hango said, per Mongabay. "So, when you see their numbers multiplying like that, it's a good story."
This is an encouraging example of the positive influence trail cameras are having on wildlife conservation. They are powerful tools that help experts gauge population health in endangered species as well as document evidence of rehabilitation efforts.
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Trail cameras have helped capture footage of rare wild felines in areas of the Himalayan mountains where they had never been seen before. They also recorded the first sighting of an endangered bird on a remote Scottish island.
When we're smart about managing the environment and the vulnerable wildlife that live in it, more species will survive and thrive. Helping a species return to full strength can facilitate a healthy and diverse ecosystem. This biodiversity always benefits humans and our food supply.
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