Since 2003, the International Institute of Wildlife Management and Conservation (Spanish acronym: ICOMVIS) has been installing infrared cameras in various national parks in Costa Rica for the purpose of monitoring… Read more » Continue reading →
Since 2003, the International Institute of Wildlife Management and Conservation (Spanish acronym: ICOMVIS) has been installing infrared cameras in various national parks in Costa Rica for the purpose of monitoring the nocturnal behavior of species. It all started at the Corcovado National Park, and the project has recently extended to Barbilla, Santa Rosa and Tortuguero. The project has thus far revealed very interesting facts about what grison, jaguars and bush hogs do after the sun goes down in Costa Rica.
As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, we know from these night-vision cameras that jaguars feast on sea turtles as they massively arrive on our beaches for nesting. This has created a certain conundrum with regard to species conservation, since the presence of humans protecting sea turtles as they arrive to nest is likely to discourage jaguars from getting close to the beaches.
The project began as a way to count the number of jaguars and to help make decisions as to where park rangers should be deployed to protect them against hunters and poachers; not only jaguars but also their prey. Initially, the cameras were not in a network and the photographs required expensive development; these days, however, the infrared digital camera network is also helping to combat irresponsible placer gold mining in Corcovado and other nature preserves.
At the Santa Rosa National Park, province of Guanacaste, the jaguar population is thriving at a particular sector of the beach. A similar situation has been observed in Barbilla. By observing nocturnal behavior such as urination and sharpening of claws on tree, the jaguars’ territory can be mapped so that park rangers can establish a protective perimeter.
Sainos (bush hogs) are nocturnal prey for jaguars. These placid creatures are at greater danger of poaching, so they are being monitored by the infrared cameras as well. These animals voraciously feed on branches and sprouts. Grison (Galictis vittata), ferret-like omnivorous mammals that are efficient hunters, have been observed in healthy numbers thanks to their agility.
The network of infrared cameras is monitored by biologists, zoologist and nature conservation experts of the National University in Costa Rica. It is also major draw for scientific tourism.