First Photos Ever Of Jaguars In Colombian Oil Palm Plantation

Panthera

Panthera’s camera traps recently produced the first photographic evidence of wild jaguars with cubs in an oil palm plantation in Colombia, including photos of two male jaguars and a female jaguar with cubs (left and below), and a video of a jaguar male.

Placed in the Magdalena River valley, these camera traps were set to gather new data about the impact of Colombia’s ever-increasing oil palm plantations on jaguars. Panthera’s scientists are working to understand the implications of these habitat changes on jaguars and their ability to travel and reproduce, as well as the impacts palm plantations have on their prey species.

Conservationists’ Dilemma as Threatened Jaguar Develops Taste for Endangered Turtle

Phys.org

How do you protect two species facing extinction when one begins to prey heavily on the other?

That’s the dilemma facing conservationists in Costa Rica who have recently discovered that their highly threatened jaguar population is increasingly dining on endangered marine turtle species.

Tortuguero National Park is a vital haven for both species, being home to an unknown number of jaguars and the world’s largest green turtle population. The park is an important nesting ground for the turtles and therefore globally vital for producing future generations of the species.

New Video Shows Rare Snow Leopards in Kashmir

Live Science

Still images from camera traps set up near the India-Pakistan border revealed the presence of rare snow leopards in the region earlier this year and have now been stitched together into a new video that shows the leopards eating, as well as other species that roam the area.

The camera traps were set up by the conservation group WWF-India in 2010 in Kashmir, just a few miles from the line of control separating the Indian province from Pakistan. In February of this year, the cameras revealed the presence of at least two snow leopards. They were only the second photographic evidence ever captured indicating snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are now living in the region.

Rare Amur Leopard Photographed in Northern China for the First Time

Discovery News

Rare, endangered Amur leopards have been photographed for the first time in China by camera traps in a protected area, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced today.

The photos, taken in Hunchun Amur Tiger National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province, bolster a survey estimating that eight to 11 leopards live in the northern Chinese province, suggesting the rare animals are returning to China, the WCS said in a statement.

First Ever Camera Trap Photos of a Tiger in Remote Northeast Indian Reserve

Panthera

New data from a camera trap survey have revealed the first ever photos of a tiger (left), and images of more than 30 other mammal species from India’s Namdapha Tiger Reserve. While Namdapha is located on the remote and wild border with Myanmar, it has been impacted over the years by poaching for the illegal wildlife market and has even been declared an ‘empty forest,’ making these recent findings all the more surprising.

In early 2012, 80 camera traps were set up in a 300km2 reserve by teams of scientists from Aaranyak (an Assam-based wildlife conservation organization) supported by Panthera, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Arunanchal Pradesh State Forest Department and the Namdapha National Park Authority. These camera trapping efforts are being carried out through Panthera’s Tigers Forever program to collect baseline data on tigers and their prey, and to monitor tiger populations over time. One of six teams led by Panthera Technical Consultant, Sahil Nijhawan, placed camera traps that snapped four photos of a large, male tiger in the southern region of the reserve. They also found pugmarks (tiger footprints) of tigers, along with tiger scat (fecal matter).

Rare Bengal Tiger Mom and Cubs Caught in Camera-Trap Photos

Wired Science

A female tiger and her cubs have been photographed roaming a north-Indian river valley by hidden camera traps. The images were taken in the Kosi River corridor, part of remote India’s Terai Arc Landscape.

A photo taken in January shows the tiger mom carrying a one-month-old cub in her mouth (left). Another taken on Nov. 26, 2011 shows the same female feasting on a domestic cow with two large cubs (below).

“Knowing the tiger numbers and their movement routes in a corridor would provide a sound database in taking decisions on developmental activities within and around the corridor,” said World Wildlife Fund coordinator Joseph Vattakaven in a press release.