Wildlife Conservation Malaysia Project #59034

Camera Traps For Wildlife Conservation

by Wildlife Society of Selangor

Project Report | Mar 18, 2024
Snapshots of Success

By Kae Kawanishi | Executive Director, WILD

Malayan tiger (c) Kae Kawanishi

The utilization of remotely triggered infrared cameras, commonly known as "camera traps," has become an indispensable tool for monitoring elusive rainforest mammals. Thanks to generous donations from individuals like you, we've been able to sustain our wildlife monitoring efforts and acquire 20 new camera traps last year. Currently, we have approximately 40 units deployed in the field, diligently monitoring the movement and presence of wildlife across our expanding project site.

As a result of our enduring commitment to protection and habitat restoration, the area now thrives with diverse wildlife. Alongside our primary target species, camera traps have captured images of over 40 other wildlife species in the region. Your contributions have played a vital role in achieving this success, and we express our gratitude for your support.

I have an important announcement to share. Currently, we have two projects featured on the GlobalGiving platform. The primary project, entitled "Protect the Malayan Tiger and Restore Its Habitat," focuses on our overarching conservation efforts. The second project, "Camera Traps for Wildlife Conservation," plays a pivotal role within the primary project. Specifically, the camera trap work serves as a vital component, providing valuable data to assess the effectiveness of our conservation interventions.

In the near future, we intend to consolidate these two projects on the GlobalGiving platform. Moving forward, we will exclusively utilize the primary project for fundraising purposes. Consequently, the camera trap project will be phased out from the platform within the coming month. However, please rest assured that wildlife monitoring using camera traps will continue on the ground.

If you wish to continue supporting our camera trap efforts, we encourage you to contribute to the main project. Thank you for your understanding and unwavering support to wildlife conservation.

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Nov 21, 2023
Gaining Better Insight And Finding Joy In Camera Trapping

By Eric Ian Chan | MYCAT Conservation Officer

A monkey enjoying a bit of lunch

The well-known adage, ‘if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ ponders the philosophical question of unperceived existence - is something that is unobserved, real and does it matter at all?

Camera trapping puts us a step ahead as the pictures and videos show us a true glimpse of life in the forest. However, for the conservationist, observing wildlife is more than voyeuristic. To us, camera trapping shows us wildlife movement, and the appearance of different species of animals in turn, provides us with data that steer protection initiatives and the allocation of resources.

The important part camera traps play is clear and will be even more significant next year when our expansion plans begin. There will be more vulnerable areas that need to be monitored for both wildlife sightings and poaching threats.

Fortunately, a happy byproduct of this work is the joy observing wildlife brings. It is this happiness that fuels and drives our mission at the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor. It certainly makes the hours and hours spent going through hundreds of camera trap images something to look forward to, rather than an arduous chore.

Nothing would thrill us more than to share this joy with you and showing you the images of wildlife caught on camera traps. However, recent news that foreign poachers from Vietnam have been apprehended in possession of many animal parts in Pahang, near us, is grisly and heartbreaking.

We are extremely worried about inadvertently informing potential poachers and risk the safety of all wildlife in the forest, as such there are limits to what we can share including details and images.

To end the year on a positive note, here are camera trap images of wildlife that we can share. We hope they will still bring a smile to your face and encourage you to continue supporting us as the importance of having camera traps in the forest has never been clearer.

An elephant inspecting our camera trap

Wild boar at twilight, a barking deer on a stroll

Tapir on a walk

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Jul 25, 2023
Theft Of Camera Trap And The Challenges Ahead

By Eric Ian Chan | MYCAT Project Consultant

Wildlife Dept. senior management checks cameras

There is great joy spotting endangered wildlife on camera traps thriving in the areas around the Sungai Yu Ecological Corridor. There is also great disappointment when this valuable conservation tool is lost. And while we maintain our steadfast resolve and continue our conservation efforts, the loss of a camera trap does remind us that the threats to wildlife are ever-present and we must always be vigilant.

Late last May, we mounted a camera trap on a tree trunk at a strategic location to observe endangered wildlife. However, on 6th July when we returned to check on the camera, we found it missing, stolen. All that was left were deep cuts on the bark left by a machete that severed the cable that held the camera.

Around the same time other camera traps in the area captured suspicious people in the forest. They were armed. This is not the first time encroachers have been photographed as other suspected poachers were also photographed in January. It is likely that these are the men who discovered our camera trap and removed it to safeguard their presence and location. With little to no real resell value for the cameras, the equipment is likely destroyed and discarded. We have reported both the theft and the trespassers to the relevant authorities.

As a result, we have had to make changes to the areas we patrol and be extra cautious. Also, we have had to be more careful keeping our camera traps from view to avoid further thefts. To continue our work here at Sungai Yu, we do need funds to replace lost camera traps. Therefore, we would ask you to continue supporting this fund and donate what you can for the equipment we need. A big thank you to those who have contributed, you have made a positive difference.

Cut marks left after camera trap was stolen

Community Rangers installing camera traps

CAT Walk volunteers learn about camera trapping

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