Bears, cats, and mystery mammals: camera traps in 'paper park' prove it's worth protecting
Camera traps catch endangered species in remote park in Cambodia A rare Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) dashes past a camera trap in Virachey National Park. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Habitat ID. Can a single photograph change the fate of a park? A new conservation group, […]
Bears, cats, and mystery mammals: camera traps in ‘paper park’ prove it’s worth protecting Jeremy Hance 9 Jun 2014 Asia Comments Share article Share this article If you liked this story, share it with other people. Facebook Linkedin Threads Whatsapp Reddit Email Page link Camera traps catch endangered species in remote park in Cambodia A rare Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) dashes past a camera trap in Virachey National Park. This species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Habitat ID. Can a single photograph change the fate of a park? A new conservation group, HabitatID, believes so, and is putting this belief into action. Setting up camera traps in Cambodia’s Virachey National Park, the group hopes that photos of charismatic and endangered species will help reinvigorate protection for a park that has essentially been abandoned by other conservation groups and underfunded by the government. Already the first series of photos—over 11 weeks—has captured several stunning animals, including clouded leopard, the Asiatic black bear, and perhaps even a new species of mammal. “Many parks across the region are being described as ’empty forests’—that is, relatively intact forest ecosystems that have been emptied of most large mammals and other animals due to intense hunting pressure,” Greg McCann, one of the co-founders of HabitatID, told mongabay.com. “Our camera trap results prove that Virachey is not an empty forest and is, in fact, full of wildlife. Our results show just how resilient wildlife is in Virachey and just how important it is that action is taken now to protect it.” Virachey, which spreads over 300,000 hectares, is a part of a vast protected area network that is larger than Connecticut. But this region has been devastated by poaching, illegal logging, mining, and other industrial projects. Virachey is no exception, which has led many to write it off as a place still viable for big animals. “The park is so huge and the threats seemingly so vast and complex that truly protecting Virachey seems like a daunting if not impossible task. This view is understandable,” said McCann. “The magnitude of the threats (economic land concessions, encroachment, logging, poaching) make it seem like only the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could foot the bill, and many NGOs don’t have the funding to take up a challenge of these proportions. Logistics and money are therefore two important reasons. Rumors abound about development plans, and it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. However, with a dedicated staff, a vibrant ecotourism policy, mining concessions that have gone nowhere, and the unsuitability of Virachey’s steep terrain for agribusiness, I think there is reason to have some hope.” A majestic sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) takes a morning mud bath. An important prey species for tiger, the sambar deer is listed as Vulnerable. Photo by: Habitat ID. HabitatID has taken their distinct vision—of reigniting interest in parks through camera trap photography—one step further: the group has crafted the first-ever camera trap tourism venture. For a fee, hikers in Virachey, along with a range, now have the opportunity to be the first to check HabitatID’s remote camera traps, which McCann says allows the camera traps to be serviced frequently. “Everyone huddles around just dying to see what’s in [the camera],” says McCann. “It’s thrilling, especially when there is a real chance of finding leopards, bears, gaur, elephants, and other large and rare mammals. And in addition to having the cameras serviced, tourists are also paying for a ranger patrol (rangers always accompany tourists), so this activity also puts more boots on the ground, giving loggers and poachers something to think about.” He hopes other wildlife groups and tourism outfits start similar camera-trapping tourism efforts, allowing eco-tourists a glimpse into conservation efforts. McCann is also hopeful for a few big surprises down the roads, telling mongabay.com that locals say Javan rhinos may still be found in the park’s remotest parts (even though they are considered extinct in mainland Asia). Tigers may also hang on in remote portions of the park. And something even more spectacle is said to haunt the mountains’ forests: Southeast Asia’s bigfoot. “The tek-tek, or Annamite Mountain Yeti! Locals are adamant that this cryptic species, which goes by the name of Orang Pendak in Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, haunts the remote sacred peaks that separate Cambodia and Laos. Both U.S. servicemen and Viet Cong soldiers claim to have seen and fired on them during the war,” he says. In a June 2014 interview, Greg McCann discusses the discoveries from Habitat ID’s first round of photos and the parks the groups hopes to work in next. McCann is also the author of, Called Away by a Mountain Spirit, which details his travels in Virachey National Park. The book has recently been re-released with updates concerning camera-trapping and oth...