Monthly

Achievement Report
Jalova, August 2015
Professional photography and the use of custom camera traps.
Summary:
In 2012 GVI entered into partnership with Panthera Costa Rica and independent researcher Stephanny
Arroyo-Arce to further develop its existing Jaguar Project. Started in 2005 to monitor the jaguars of
Tortuguero National Park and their predator-prey interaction with marine turtles, this project has
documented several unique behaviour previously unrecorded for this species. As a result of this
collaboration the project has generated four scientific papers, as well as a short communication
documenting the nature and ecology of these unique interactions. As awareness of the significance of the
project grows within the scientific community, Panthera the worlds largest specialist wildcat
conservation organisation dispatched on assignment one of their professional field photographers
Sebastian Kennerknecht to document these animals. Using specialised camera-trapping systems designed
to capture high-resolution images Sebastian spent two weeks at GVIs Jalova Research Station working with
staff and representatives of Conservacin del Jaguar en el Noreste Caribeo de Costa Rica the project
founded by Stephanny Arroyo-Arce and past GVI Jaguar Project Manager, Ian Thomson.
Objectives
To install custom camera traps on sites of predation events to document the jaguar population of
Tortuguero feeding activities on species of marine turtle.
Report
Camera trapping is an invaluable tool available to scientist and the general public allowing them to
document species without the need to capture animals, or disturb them through direct observation. When
conducted correctly, this method of observation can be considered one of the least invasive, providing
incredibly accurate data that can be reviewed and interpreted multiple times. Todays modern camera
traps are remotely activated cameras, based around passive infrared (PIR) system similar to those used in
home security. Able to take pictures as well as high definition videos, both day and night, this is a
technology that is constantly developing and the camera traps of just a few years ago look almost archaic
compared to todays latest models. Due to the nature of their use (remote locations, exposed to
extremities of weather), the majority of camera traps use technology very similar to that found in the
camera of a smart phone or your average SLR camera to minimise weight, size and cost. While images
generated by these devices are perfectly acceptable for species/individual identification and the formation
of databases to support scientific research, the quality of the image is not considered high resolution,
especially at night when the images or video are taken using infrared, which appears in black and white.
Professional photographers using camera traps develop their own individual systems and will take an
existing DSLR and customise it with an active infrared system (AIR) working in conjunction with white
flashes to provide high resolution colour images both day and night. The cost of these systems can run
into several thousands of dollars, precluding them from everyday use by most of the scientific community
and general public when compared to a standard system that generally cost less than two hundred dollars.

GVI.2015.08



During Sebastians visit, he brought three of these systems to Jalova, and over the course of his two week
stay installed them on two trail locations as well as five instances of turtle predation by jaguars. We are
happy to announce that with the support of GVI and Conservacin del Jaguar en el Noreste Caribeo de
Costa Rica he was able to fulfil his assignment for Panthera and captured several striking images of this
cryptic species before returning to the United States. We wish Sebastian all the best and recommend you
check out his web site Pumapix.com to see all the excellent work he has done to promote wildcat
conservations (also the amazing pictures he has) and look forward to Panthera publishing the images in the
future.
Ian Thomson, Project Manager, Conservacion del Jaguar en el Noreste Caribeno de Costa Rica

GVI.2015.08