WCS 3-Sentence Science

Camera Traps Reveal Good News for Duikers

December 26, 2019

CREDIT: WCS RWANDA PROGRAM

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by the WCS Africa program on camera trap monitoring of duiker populations in Central and East Africa.

1. Researchers used systematic camera-trap monitoring to assess population trends for 15 populations of nine duiker species in six national parks in Central and East Africa to see if they were being negatively affected by bushmeat hunting.
2. They found that most duiker populations appear relatively healthy in monitored parks, indicating that these parks are effective in protecting most duikers despite hunting pressure.
3. Authors recommend that systematic, standardized camera-trap monitoring be initiated in other African parks in combination with point-abundance models to objectively assess forest ungulate population trends.

Study and Journal: “Camera trapping reveals trends in forest duiker populations in African National Parks” from Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
WCS Co-Author(s): Tim O’Brien (Lead), Senior Scientist, Measures; Terry Brncic, WCS Congo Program; Felix Mulindahabi, Nyungwe Project Deputy; Breuer-Ndoundou Hockemba Mireille, WCS Congo Program; Protais Niyigaba, WCS Rwanda Program; Madeleine Nyiratuza,WCS Rwanda Program; Kiebou Opepa Cisquet, WCS Congo Program.

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.