{"id":785488,"date":"2026-09-28T17:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/785488\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:26:12","slug":"over-300-custom-made-camera-traps-spread-across-an-area-the-size-of-cape-verde-make-important-wildlife-discoveries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/785488\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 300 custom-made camera traps spread across an area the size of Cape Verde make important wildlife discoveries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Camera traps continue to provide vital evidence and data for zoologists. A recent study in Tanzania by the conservation organization Panthera<\/a> involved over 300 camera traps<\/a> occupying an area the size of West Africa\u2019s Cape Verde. The result was more than 150,000 images of the location\u2019s diverse range of wildlife, providing valuable insight into the location\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Such data has included photographs of servals with a rare morph coat pattern for the first time in Tanzania, as well as some of the first records of aardwolves, bat-eared foxes, and springhares in the country\u2019s western region. The project has also provided evidence of dwindling lion populations in Ugalla and Luganzo-Tongwe Game Reserves.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I got to talk with lead scientist Paolo Strampelli about Panthera\u2019s methods when distributing camera traps and collecting data…<\/p>\n

How camera traps are used by conservationists <\/p>\n

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\"Panthera\n<\/p>\n

Panthera field scientists set up camera traps in western Tanzania (Image credit: Paolo Strampellli \/ Panthera)What type of camera traps do you use?<\/p>\n

“We use PantheraCams. These cameras are developed in-house by Panthera and are custom-made to meet our specific wild cat monitoring needs and requirements.”<\/p>\n

How much research goes into the positioning of each trap?<\/p>\n

“A lot! We first use satellite imagery to develop a grid design, which requires cameras to be placed within certain distances of each other to ensure the assumptions of the statistical models we apply to the data are met. <\/p>\n

“We also identify a preliminary position for each camera. Once in the field, we\u00a0then fine-scale this, selecting the exact tree the camera is placed on, and adapting the positioning of cameras\u00a0based on additional information we acquire in the field. <\/p>\n

“The objective is always to maximize pictures of wildlife, especially wild cats, so we\u00a0try and\u00a0‘think like a lion’, and look at habitat features, movement pathways, game trails, and other characteristics of the area that can help us maximise captures.”<\/p>\n

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\"Panthera
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A hyaena boot thief, western Tanzania (Image credit: Paolo Strampellli \/ Panthera)How do you go about recovering the traps to collect the data?<\/p>\n

“It’s a lot of work! Our team spends about two weeks on deployment,\u00a0and we then have\u00a0a two-week ‘check’ halfway through the survey. After about three months, the team takes them down. It’s a big effort, but worth it when we get to check the data and see all the amazing things we’ve captured!”<\/p>\n

How reliable are the camera traps, left out in the elements?<\/p>\n

“They are very resistant to heat, sunlight, humidity, and even freezing temperatures \u2013 although this is not something we\u00a0have to deal with a lot in Tanzania!\u00a0Our teams have built them to be robust and (almost) indestructible, although we\u00a0do\u00a0unfortunately lose some to elephants and spotted hyenas, who sometimes\u00a0appear to have not gotten the memo!”<\/p>\n

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\"Panthera
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A lion cub inspects Panthera’s camera trap in western Tanzania (Image credit: Paolo Strampellli \/ Panthera)Why are camera traps such a useful tool for conservationists and scientists?<\/p>\n

“In western Tanzania, camera\u00a0traps\u00a0are an invaluable tool for conservationists and scientists because they provide critical, evidence-based data to guide effective management strategies. <\/p>\n

“These surveys allow Panthera and our government partners at TAWA and TAWIRI to monitor the population status and density of key species like lions and leopards, track threatened wildlife such as African wild dogs, and map wider mammal diversity and distributions. <\/p>\n

“Beyond wildlife monitoring, the cameras capture vital evidence of human activities, helping conservationists and authorities understand the scope of threats and pinpoint activity hotspots to better protect the region.”<\/p>\n

You might also like…<\/p>\n

Interested in the part photography plays in wildlife conservation? Photographer captures octopus riding rarely seen dolphin<\/a>, provides valuable evidence for ongoing research. Photography is at the heart of remarkable discovery of a new cat species<\/a> \u2013 even if it was science that delivered the definitive proof. Plus, here are the best cameras for wildlife photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camera traps continue to provide vital evidence and data for zoologists. A recent study in Tanzania by the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":785489,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[90,56,54,55,4407],"class_list":["post-785488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wildlife","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-wildlife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=785488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/785488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/785489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=785488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=785488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=785488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}