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The observation of wild animals, in
nature, brings with itself the desire to "steal" one document,
an evidence of what we have seen. Naturalistic photography has
been born by this need, evolving - in some cases - towards artistic
level.
Looking for an image in the middle of nature, for pleasure as for
scientific research, means engagement, patience and the availability
to face various types of discomfort. But when we are looking for a
picture of an animal which is rare or very elusive, our investment
in passion, fatigue, time and discomfort might very easily result
into being unprofitable. In certain environmental or climatic conditions,
the possibility to stand the necessary waiting time could result in
being physically unsustainable or requesting prohibitive costs in
equipment and organization.
FOTO TRAP® doesn't fear cold or hot weather, rain or snow,
the hardest conditions to stand waiting, therefore allows to join
the target and increases exponentially our chances of success,
while drastically pulling down time and cost of our research.
Thanks to FOTO TRAP®, the number of outstanding documents, gained
by researchers and devotees, is already quite high. |
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Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos)
Parco Naturale
Adamello Brenta |
Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos)
Parco Naturale
Adamello Brenta |
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Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos)
Parco Naturale
Adamello Brenta |
Roe
(Capraeolus
capraeolus)
Parco Naturale
Adamello Brenta |
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Pictures taken by Adamello Brenta Natural Park research
team (Trento)
which is involved also in "Life Ursus" project. |
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Lynx
(Lynx lynx)
Alpi Orientali |
Golden Eagle
(Aquila
chrysaetos)
Alpi Orientali |
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| Images of predatory activity
in Italy |
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Evidence of a new species joining italian territory for the
first time |
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Brown Bear
(Ursus arctos)
Alpi Orientali |
Raccoon Dog
(Nyctereutes
procionoides)
Alpi Orientali |
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Pictures obtained by "Dipartimento di Scienze Animali Facolta'
di Medicina Veterinaria dell'Universita' di Udine"
which i salso involved in "Interreg III A Italia-Slovenia" project. |
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| The importance of Foto Trap® for natural
research |
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One of the more frequent applications is certainly to identify
or to check the presence of individuals of uncommon species.
So, in Italy too, self-shooting photo-cameras have been used
to take pictures of difficult to approach animals: the wolf,
the lynx, the bear and other smaller mammalian like the wild-cat
or the otter. In various cases, the photo-trapping technique
allowed to document the presence of very rare specimens of species
on way for extinction.
It even allowed to find out the survival of species being considered
extinct.
Thanks to FOTO TRAP®, therefore, we can:
- apply this technique to collect scientific data, to proof
and/or size species presence, and to protect territory by monitoring
situations and behaviours;
- maintain an extremely respectful approach towards animals
and their environment, applying this new technique of cognitive
inquiry, still not used very much in Europe, which is much less
invading than old systems of identification by capture;
- lower the cost of cognitive inquiry on presence-absence of
species of fauna on examined territory. |
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Wolf
(Canis lupus)
Foreste
Casentinesi
Natura Service
taken at -10° C
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Wolf
(Canis lupus)
Foreste
Casentinesi
Natura Service |
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| Techniques' synergy |
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| To add photo trapping besides traditional research helps to
understand life habits of individuals belonging to any animal
population. After studying their presence on the territory,
through acoustic or olfactory calls, feces collection, identification
of marking sites, etc. …, in such areas now well investigated,
a wise introduction of photo-trapping techniques can give important
and satisfactory results. FOTO TRAP® comes out as an indispensable
tool for documenting most elusive species. |
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Fallow Deer
(Dama dama)
Foreste di
Vallombrosa
Natura Service |
White Stork
(Ciconia ciconia)
Monitoring
nidification sites
in Piemonte
Natura Service |
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| Traps and feeling sites |
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| Eating a meal, for many animals, represents much more than
a pure nourishment need, while inside a scientific investigation
represents a rare opportunity for collecting data and ratify
intuitions. To place photo-traps on organized feeding points
that can be visited by species living in team or herd allows
to identify or - at least - get an idea of each individual's
social rank, obtaining basic information for further searching.
Looking about a territorial species, can give us information
on how any single individual, living on the inquired area, makes
use of the territory. Quite good quality pictures can be obtained:
it's just a matter of time and organization. |
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Wild cat
(Felis silvestris)
Appennino
centrale
Natura Service |
European
Otter
(Lutra lutra)
Piemonte
Natura Service |
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| Foto Trap® for surveillance and against
poaching |
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| Many stories about poachers are known and told. Sad stories
telling of death, of breaking rules and of difficulties in hindering
such behaviour. Poachers have their "time-schedule", they go
through routine itineraries; when investigating about questionable
situations, inside a Park territory, to put at work a few FOTO
TRAP® IR (or high sensibility film) units can make their
job much easier to surveillance guards. FOTO TRAP® system
can be employed to protect our environment, for example, putting
under control forestal roads' accesses with FOTO TRAP equipment.
Such mean of control is suitable also for detecting abusive
waste storing or other polluting behaviours. |
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| Some other applications: |
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Benefits: |
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Identifying predatory subject in agro-pastoral |
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environment |
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Checking for damage refunds |
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Demonstrating harmful behaviour of people or |
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firms |
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Low cost |
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Quick result |
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Versatility |
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Savings on staff employment |
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Operating controls in environmental
situation |
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being prohibitive for human presence |
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