04 Mar 2008
- How hard can it be to catch a glimpse
of a beast which can weigh 2,300kg and measure
over 3m in length? As a WWF team discovered,
it takes patience, skill and not a little
ingenuity to capture the movements of this
elusive giant on film. However, data gathered
from strategically placed camera traps could
just provide the key to protecting this
fragile population from extinction.
Last year WWF staff
embarked upon a camera trapping survey in
Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, Indonesia.
The park, barely connected to Java by a
thin strip of land, is accessed by a 3 hour
boat trip to Cimayang on the edge of the
park. From there, the team makes their way
on foot through dense tropical vegetation
searching for signs of the critically endangered
Javan rhino. The boat will collect the team
5 days later at Cibunar, on the eastern
end of the peninsula.
About camera traps
Camera traps are fairly basic photographic
equipment with infra red triggers which
take a picture every time they sense movement
in the forest. This allows conservationists
to observe and gather vital information
on species which would not otherwise be
available. Extensive research is required
to determine the best place to locate the
camera, which is usually attached to a tree.
Cameras are often located in remote and
inaccessible parts of the forest – the places
where shy and elusive creatures such as
the Javan rhino can be found. In locations
like Ujung Kulon, a protective waterproof
box is vital to ensure the camera can cope
with the rain and humid conditions.
The Javan rhinoceros
Indonesia's Ujung Kulon National Park, on
the western-most tip of the island of Java,
is home to the world's largest population
of the critically endangered Javan rhinoceros.
With only 60 individuals now surviving in
the wild, 45 to 50 are believed to live
within the park.
Sitting in the shadow
of Mount Krakatao, the 120,500ha park comprises
densely packed lowland forests, coastal
forest, estuaries and swamps. The park is
also a home for numerous other wild species,
including gibbons, macaques, leaf monkeys,
deers, pigs and banteng.
Into the thick of it
The camera traps require regular maintenance
– films need to be reloaded, batteries changed
and camera’s cleaned - sometimes as often
as once a month.
The trek through the
hot and humid Javan jungle will lead to
carefully mapped transects and quadrats
in the heart of rhino territory. The 10-15
strong team is led by Iwan, a man of boundless
energy and enthusiasm. For over 10 years,
Iwan has worked with WWF, devoting his life
to conservation of the rhino: ‘My dream
is to let the world know that the Javan
rhino is pure, precious and endangered.
I wish to see the Javan rhino thriving in
its habitat, safe from the perils of extinction
for generations to come.’
Once the location for
a camera trap is reached, the team cleans
and reloads the camera, while other members
look for fresh rhino activity in the area.
Although it is an area known to be frequented
by rhinos, this work is often disheartening
if there is no evidence of recent rhino
activity. WWF field staff believe that rhinos
may sometimes bypass the camera installation
area having previously been startled by
the electronic flash.
On this occasion, however,
not far from the site of the first camera,
the team recognizes the scratch marks of
a rhino trying to rub off fresh mud from
a wallow on a tree trunk.
The process is repeated
at each of the camera locations throughout
the jungle. At times the team is forced
onto all fours as they forage their way
through the dense tropical vegetation. As
well as struggling to deal with the heat,
humidity, and heavy rain, there may be other
perils to contend with. This time it is
a swarm of wasps which attacks the team
– ensuring everyone is stung at least once!
As the team completes
its journey through the park, it continues
to collect evidence of rhino activity, including
a fresh 16kg pile of dung which will be
used for DNA evidence.
During the trip, the
team found definite evidence of rhino activity
– dung, fresh footprints, wallows, and scratch
marks. However, there was no face-to-face
encounter with this elusive beast. With
all the camera traps in good working order,
cleaned and reloaded, the team can make
their way out of the jungle............readying
themselves to repeat the whole arduous process
within 4 to 6 weeks!
How do camera traps
help?
The photographic evidence provided by these
camera traps can produce range maps for
endangered species such as the Javan rhino.
This information can ensure vital habitats
are protected from logging, hunting or conversion
to agriculture. In addition, the traps provide
information on food availability and can
provide insight on population structure
and behaviour patterns. For example, data
from camera traps has shown that there may
be more males than females present in this
population, leading to potential breeding
problems.
The results
Despite the fact that there are at least
40 rhinos living in Ujung Kulon National
Park, Javan rhinos are rarely sighted in
field surveys. They are more evident in
pictures from camera traps, which is why
this method plays such a vital role in establishing
a visual database of the endangered rhino.
There are currently 16 sets of camera traps
installed in the park, well below the ideal
number of 50.
Since 2001, the camera
trap team has been able to identify around
35 individual rhinos. These rhinos are recorded
in a database to enable cross identification
with future camera trap data.
