Conservation Firsthand
Travel
SUPPORT WWF
Camera Traps
More on Camera Traps
A camera trap placed along known tiger pathway, Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. The red dot on the dark box on the left is the laser "tripwire" that activates the camera.
© WWF
While a "camera trap" might sound menacing, it actually does no harm at all to wildlife. The name is derived from the manner in which it "captures" wildlife - on film!
Camera traps are not the intricate and elaborate devices you might imagine; these innovative conservation tools are in fact nothing more than everyday cameras, armed with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest.
While the device itself is not complicated, the getting the film developed is. Because the cameras are placed in such remote locations, it often takes a full day to hike to each. Cameras also must be moved occasionally because their flashes often alert animals to their presence, causing those animals to avoid the area in the future.
Due to the moist, hot climate of many of the forest locations WWF is working, the cameras often malfunction, so scientists will be lucky if two-thirds of the pictures are of any animals at all. Scientists can get that rate of return in a dense forest only because they do significant research before placing the cameras in order to determine the most efficient and productive locations.
Wave Forward
-- Hear from WWF marine experts on our ocean blog-- Discover Your Inner Fish
-- Want to buy sustainable fish for dinner? Learn what to look for.
Take Action
Take action through WWF's Conservation Action Network, where you can speak out for wildlife and wild places around the globe.
Read more
Free T-Shirt With Donation
Make a gift to help protect the future of nature today and we'll send you a free "Hotter than I should be" t-shirt that you can proudly wear to demonstrate your support of WWF.