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Camera Trap Manual for Arabian Leopard - PDF

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2. Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Always insert or remove SD card only when the camera is switched OFF Switch camera ON and place in SETUP mode Use Down arrow to put into still photo mode UP arrow for video Set the following parameters for Photos ignore settings related to Video including video size length or TV output Image Size suggest 5 or 8mp Capture number number o images to capture for each detected movement 1 3 2 Interval camera waits for next response 15 secs 1 min 15 secs Sensor level High Format use to format the card for first time use Time Stamp On quick reference to data amp time when viewing images though this information should be stored with image or file s meta data Set Clock Use for setting year month hour and minute Default Set returns all settings to the default mode To Test Camera Alignment Place camera in setup mode Red light blinks whenever it detects motion To Set Camera in Active Mode Place switch to the ON position and close the case The camera red lights blinks for 10 seconds after which it starts recording events so be quick When Checking the camera Promptly open the back without moving the camera if possible and switch the unit OFF Place switch on setup to determine how many frames have been taken since the memory card was last erased clean Video Settings Video length 30fps can be from 1 second to 60m second
3. no delay Time Lapse Off Resolution 1080p Set the battery type installed requires 12 Note Reconyx cameras will self arm from the WalkTest mode after a two minute period in which it does not detect any motion Bushnell Trophy Cam Check for number of images taken remaining battery life indicator bars upper right Camera Mode Image Size 5 M pixel Camera Number 3 Photo per event Picture interval 2 3 seconds Interval O sec Sensor level Normal Time Stamp On Requires 8 AA batteries Note The Bushnell camera has to be switched from the setup position to ON for it to be activated Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 17 Lithium or rechargeable NiMH batteries provide the Reconyx with the longest life the latter being more economical in the long run 4 11 Monitoring of Camera Traps Cameras should be checked every 7 15 days depending upon the site and its security from disturbance by people One also needs to check battery voltage and remaining memory card capacity if the camera traps have been out for long The voltage should be 1 45 1 5 for alkaline or lithium batteries change them if it drops below 1 40 Check using the built in camera trap indicator Reconyx will show the percent of battery life remaining the Bushnell and Canon D10 a simple barred indicator in the upper right of the LCD window TM1550 batteries should last at least 8 months the Canon D10
4. As noted earlier camera traps should be left out as long as possible in order to increase the chance for both new captures and recaptures of known individuals Most camera trap surveys are limited to 40 70 days in order to avoid violating the population closure assumption Otis et al 1978 White et al 1982 However from local reports and research by Spalton and associates in Oman it is clear that leopards revisit sites only after long periods of time up to 49 days between a visit 4 10 Sensor Settings Instructions on operating TrailMaster 1550 camera traps are listed in Appendix 2 A with summary instructions appearing in Appendix 2 B Whenever possible the camera traps should have uniform settings so that they can be considered equal in terms of their ability to detect visitations by leopards and capture images for identification Recommended settings and operating instructions for Reconyx and Bushnell cameras is provided in Appendix 2 C Box 5 summarizes the suggested settings for the TrailMaster 1550 monitor and camera Note that these settings may need to be adjusted later depending upon results of the pilot phase For example camera could be set to capture a wider range of wildlife species to take fewer images at each event in order to extend battery life or to increase the time delay between photographs Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 16 Box 5 Recommended Settings for TrailMaster 1550 Active
5. in degrees distance between the senor and the project travel path of the animal height of the sensor above ground number of test images saved on the memory card It helps to take an image and then examine it on the Cuddeback SD card viewer in order to make sure the camera will properly frame the image Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 19 5 0 Data Analysis 5 1 Capture Mark Recapture CMR Analysis The Indian biologist Ullas Karanth was the first to use photography and camera traps to estimate population size in tigers Karanth 1995 Karanth and Nichols 1998 For an overview of how CMR works see Nichols 1992 provided with the workshop handouts CAPTURE derives its population estimate from the proportion of marked i e previously caught amp identified to unmarked i e newly captured individuals across consecutive trapping sessions also known as sampling occasions At the end of the study all images from each visitation or event are examined and each individual leopard identified see below The data is then collated into capture histories contained within a X matrix an example of which is shown in Figure 7 Figure 7 Example of a Capture History involving 5 snow leopards and 9 trapping occasions Capture History by Sampling Occasion1 n 9 0 no visit 1 visit detec ted Each sampling occasion may vary in length from 1 7 or more days In their tiger study Karanth and
6. 1550 Active Infrared Camera Trap Set up Camera 1 45 1 Narrow point along i travel corridor 1 Avoid placing 1 i both cameras on 5 same side of trail ie Transmitter s Ma a Camera 2 ten 1 ms X 9 0 s4 Receiver Leopard travel path avoid placing cameras directly head on e g parallel to the trail Rather angle each one a little for a lateral view as well as the frontal or facial view of the cat as indicated by the dotted lines Note if trail is wide enough place both cameras at a 90 angle to the travel path at distance of 2 3 meters from the center of the trail We recommend that TrailMaster cameras be angled slightly giving the camera more time to initialize and take a photograph The goal is to obtain a full body photograph of the leopard from either side of its body so that it can be definitively identified at first capture based on the pelage pattern along its flanks Too close and you will capture only part of the leopard s body too far and the image will be too coarse for identification especially when using the lower resolution Bushnell or Reconyx camera traps Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 13 In the case of the TrailMaster you will place two cameras on opposite sides of the travel pathway at right angles 90 degrees such that they are facing one another Figure 6 Where the pathway is narrow or where a animal would walk qui
7. Mo fits data Model Mo fits data Model Mo fits data Model M fits data As above Model Mb fits data First capture probabilities are constant Recapture prob abilities are con stant Model M fits data Model M fits data Source Variation Heterogeneity Trap response after 10 capture Time variation in capture probability Trap response and or time variation given het erogeneity As above Heterogeneity and or time variation given trap response Heterogeneity and or time variation using first capture only Heterogeneity and or time variation using only recaptures Trap response and or heterogeneity given time variation Trap response given het erogeneity For an example of a Capture Mark Recapture study of a rare carnivore the snow leopard see Jackson et al 2005 and 2006 Data Management All information from the field data forms should be entered into Excel On pe 1 5 4 files in order to facilitate data analysis Use of Excel s drop down lists options menu s are highly recommended as this helps standardize data from different observers while reducing the number of errors during the data entry process see Create a drop down list from a range of cells in Excel Digital camera traps especially those employing PIR sensors generate an enormous amount of data that can easily overwhelm users The NWRRC therefore needs to implement a rational and
8. Reviewing Data When in Read Out mode the TM will flash each details of the events which have been recorded and stored in memory in sequential order Follow these steps to review event amp capture data o Press TIME SET if password protected first enter the 4 password numbers as described above o Press R O ADV to scroll through the events in numerical order date followed by the time an with a or dot if a photo was taken o thru will show at the end of records o To review data again press R O ADV again Clearing or Erasing Data Note once information is erased it cannot be retrieved So be certain before o Press SET UP to display S uP o Press R O ADV to display c Ir Press R O ADV again to keep data o Press TIME SET Now a 0 will be displayed as all data is cleared from memory Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 33 Other Settings Default are Unit Number Camera time set at 3 5 Camera Alive CA 1 0 or one hour and Frame Limit no limit as indicated by nL See above for settings to be used in the Nimr Project Hold down the SET UP button for 6 seconds use TIME SET to advance though menu and R O ADV to adjust each value These have been set by Project Managers but it is wise to check each Unit number un 0X corresponds with the number given each TM1550 set Camera time Ct set to 6 seconds Camera Alive Ca set to 1 0 or one hour Frame limit L X set to no limit n
9. camera is rated to give up to 1 5 2 months depending upon the number of images and flash use please validate this estimate Bushnell and Reconyx PIR sensors have an estimated life of at least 4 6 months and probably longer depending upon the number of images accrued In any case it is wise policy to check battery gauges during each visit to verify sufficient power remains if it falls to 2 bars replace the AA batteries Remember that any period that a camera is inoperative for any reason whatsoever will violate the assumption of equal trapping probability among the deployed network of camera traps 4 12 False Images Record the number of falsely triggered images taken during each trapping occasion and use this to adjust downward the number of operational trap nights False images are those ones triggered by non animal causes like moving branches or when a gust of wind moves the sensor itself Zoom in on the image to search for any mammal bird or reptile animal of mouse size or larger False images will not have any animal in the frame Tip check the preceding and succeeding images to see if these were taken within the same time period and have any animals present False images can be erased from card memory but before doing so follow the instructions under the troubleshooting instructions given in the manufacturer s manual 4 13 Camera Flash and related Visibility Profile The TM 1550 Canon D10 has a flash which can result in
10. first time battery installation Otherwise select Tools Date Time if this has to be changed Format SD card Menu select Format size of card and confirm Image Size Recommended size is M1 8 mp 3264 x 2448 fine setting In order for the camera to be non invasive set sounds see below auto focus assist and red eye reduction to off Select menu then the camera icon AF Frame Center place camera to capture animal at center of frame Servo AF OFF AF Point Zoom OFF after camera set at desired zoom level if necessary AF assist beam Probably best set to OFF as it will almost certain trouble shy species like nimr for details see below under manual focus Blink Detection Red eye set to OFF Flash settings Red eye correction set to OFF Red Eye Lamp set to OFF Other Settings i Contrast OFF Review set at 2 4 secs after set up completed Review Info On or OFF as desired Disp Overlay OFF IS mode Note the Continuous setting has the camera shooting an image every 1 1 secs under manual finger shutter control The TM settings above ensures continuous images every which is too fast for the flash capacitor to recycle its power since nimr will very likely come at night or later afternoon in low light we will need the flash to properly light the target area Therefore set the low there likely too Date Stamp set to Date amp Time facilitates matching images amp events Sounds amp Volume
11. newly caught individuals 1 e previously unmarked and first observed in this occasion CAPTURE then attempts to fit the inputted dataset with one of seven models described in the Figure 9 below The simplest model assumes no differences in capture probability between individual leopards and sampling occasions The second Model Mi tests for differences in capture probabilities between individuals under the assumption that different age classes or sex may differ in their susceptibility to being captured Other models look for differences in behavior Mj and time Mit or a combination of these For details please consult CAPTURE s User Manual provided on the workshop CD as well as the following publications Rexstad E and K P Burnham 1991 User s guide for Interactive Program CAPTURE Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado Otis D L K P Burnham G C White and D R Anderson 1978 Statistical inference from capture data on closed animal populations Wildlife Monograph 62 135 pages White G C D R Anderson K P Burnham and D L Otis 1982 Capture recapture and removal methods for sampling closed populations Los Alamos National Laboratory LA 8787 NERP Los Alamos New Mexico 235 pages These documents will assist you in correctly interpreting the outputs from CAPURE which includes the following specific tests for model validation CAPTURE gives a valu
12. or so 5 Position on Slope Draw an imaginary line from the base of a mountain and divide it into 3 equal parts Lower Section located in lowest 1 3 of mountain slope Middle Section located in middle portion of mountain slope Upper Section located in upper 1 3 of mountain slope 6 Habitat Ruggedness Describes the nature of the land surface around the camera trap site and within a distance of 50 m Cliff CLF Terrain at site is very precipitous slope more than 50 Broken BR Terrain broken or moderately broken by cliffs rocky outcrops ravines and gullies Very broken VBR Terrain heavily broken by irregular slopes rocky outcrops and gullies Rolling ROL Terrain has a relatively smooth land surface e g rolling hills or alluvial fan Flat FLA Terrain forms a level surface e g plain or valley floor Other OTH Other terrain type indicate in note 7 Local Topographic Feature Cliff CLF Terrain at site is very precipitous slope more than 50 Ridgeline RID Pointed land feature that runs up the side or along the crest of a mountain Hill slope HIL Place along the side or slopes of a mountain or hill Valley Floor VAL Bottom of a valley Stream Bed STR Seasonal or permanent drainage including a stream or river bed Scree Boulders SBO Loss gravel rocks and boulders often at the bottom of a cliff or steep slope also known as talus or boulder field The best sites for camera traps are along well defined trails at the base of cl
13. perimeter Figure 2 But again this will depend upon the availability of camera traps access logistics and staff or local guides to monitor them Since limited numbers of camera traps are usually available it may be necessary to successively move cameras to new locations over the course of the survey For example a team may only have 20 traps If the goal is to deploy an average trap density of 4 traps per 100 km area then it would only be possible to sample a 500 km area concurrently or about 5 survey blocks One would have to move all traps after 40 50 nights to cover the adjacent survey blocks with the survey taking a total of 80 100 days to complete In moving traps from one edge of the survey area trap network to the other one must ensure there are no gaps within the network for an adult female to remain undetected over the course of the survey Karanth and others Given the long interval between leopard visitations to a particular place Spalton et al 2006 one must ensure that each trapsite operates for at least 40 50 consecutive nights thus allowing for only one compete change involving all traps during a 2 3 month survey Clearly the more number of traps available the better A further complication results from the highly broken terrain typically found across the leopards range in Saudi Arabia Given the many possible travel routes it is exceedingly difficult to predict exactly where a cat would be likely to walk and thu
14. systematic system for retrieving cataloging analyzing and reporting on camera trapping results Data from the Trail Master sensors can be uploaded to computers dedicated to the Arabian Leopard Project using the TM Data Collector II with enabling software StatPack and serial port adaptor StatPack enables the user to annotate images with species names or site specific information Page 25 Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif analyze temporal data and output 2 or 3 dimensional graphs illustrating the activity periods by user specified time periods of camera trapped wildlife see TM StatPack User Manual for details Capture images from the Reconyx and Bushnell camera traps can be transferred toa computer via built in or USB attached SD card readers The resulting information can then be processed using the system recommended by Harris et al 2010 Data retrieval image file labeling storage and data analysis is a three step process employing open source software and software produced by Harris and his associates a The memory card is removed from camera trap inserted into a computer and moves the files to a temporary location folder e g Location0O1 Temp which contains images taken from the camera trap at b The freeware program ReNamer Kozlov 2009 is used to rename all files simultaneously in folder LocationO1Temp with the date and time each picture was taken which solves two problems a all files are
15. than 250 mature individuals C and a continuing decline observed projected or inferred in numbers of mature individuals 2 and population structure a no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 50 mature individuals i For further information see www redlist org Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 3 Historically much of the nimr s range was located within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which has decreased by some 90 since the 19 Century Judas et al 2006 Primary threats to the species are habitat degradation and fragmentation resulting from road or track construction and which facilitate access for poachers overgrazing by sheep and goats construction of new houses especially in rural areas urbanization along the Asir Range on the Biljurashi Plateau and mining or gravel extraction development Excessive illegal hunting has greatly depleted numbers of key prey like the Nubian ibex hyrax and hare Al Johany 2007 As a consequence the leopard has become increasingly dependent upon domestic stock for its subsistence that in turn leads to retaliatory actions by herders losing animals Carcasses are poisoned and traps set to remove the predator whenever it is encountered Although legally protected law enforcement targeting the Arabian leopard and its prey is insufficient Finally there are reports of the sale of leopard furs and occasionally a live animal is sold in the market for example one cat
16. the Arabian leopard s ecology and natural history 2 0 Status and Ecology of the Arabian Leopard The Arabian Leopard Panthera pardus ssp Nimr is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Mallon et al 2008 with an effective population of 100 250 across its entire range in the Arabian Peninsula Box 1 Known as Al nimr al arabi this leopard subspecies is uniquely small genetically distinctive and desert adapted endemic to the Arabian Peninsula It once occupied the mountainous rim of the Arabian Peninsula albeit at low densities given the harsh environment and its associated limited prey base Box 1 Status of the Arabian leopard in the IUCN Red List from Strategy for the Conservation of the Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula The Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with the following assessment information Assessment CR C2a i version 3 1 2001 Year assessed 1996 Assessor Cat Specialist Group Evaluators Nowell K Breitenmoser U Breitenmoser Ch amp Jackson P Justification The Leopard population of the Arabian peninsula is estimated to number approximately 100 mature individuals with a declining trend and no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 50 mature individuals History 1994 Endangered Groombridge 1994 Critically Endangered CR indicates that the total population size is estimated to number fewer
17. uniquely labeled by date and time for multiple images from the same location cannot be recorded at precisely the same time and b avoids overwrite previously downloaded files for many cameras including Bushnell reset memory cards to zero when files are removed The file renaming step is repeated for all camera trap sites c One then produces a text file containing all image file information using a single DOS command Data analysis is also a two step process using the two computer programs written by the authors a The first computer program uses the hierarchical text file to assemble a second text file each of whose lines appear as Location Species Year Month Day Hour Minute Second Number of Individuals This file can be directly imported into a spreadsheet for permanent archiving Also produced is a third text file that contains a list of locations and species that are used in the analysis The user edits this file which includes dummy variables placeholders for each location s start and stop date and UTM coordinates b The second computer program uses the latter two files to produce a full analysis of the camera trap imagery The output from the analysis is a final text file containing all results and which can be imported into a spreadsheet program The output file also provides text that can be directly input to other analysis programs such as PRESENCE which estimates the proportion of locations occupied by a species NWRC wil
18. was sold for 4 800 in the Al Khawbah market in 1997 Leopard fat is valued for its perceived medicinal properties Relatively little is known about the ecology and behavior of the Arabian leopard in fact most information comes from a single radio tracking and camera trap study undertaken in Oman s Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve Spalton et al 2006 Spalton and Hikmani 2006 Al Johany 2007 reported that all 65 leopard sightings he investigated were close to permanent waterholes and at higher elevations in the mountains generally in rugged and less accessible areas Johany considered leopards survive in reasonable numbers yet an attempt at camera trapping following his 1998 2001 surveys failed to photograph any leopards Judas et al 2006 estimated the Saudi Arabian leopard population size at 60 425 individuals within a range of 4 000 19 635 km but this was based upon potential rather than occupied habitat This pattern was confirmed during the surveys undertaken in preparation for intensive camera trapping While recent reports by local people suggest its presence in a number of areas actual sightings are rare or very rare and separated by long time intervals This implies that the remaining population is not only sparse but highly fragmented Currently camera trapping represents the only available method for accurately mapping the cat s present range and determining numbers in selected areas Fecal genotyping is another potenti
19. 1 t po E along with supporting this with an Fed Logikeihood value in Royle Nichols Mode 27Nov2008 Added menus 119Dec2006 occu p an cy SU rvey t h a t d raws on Added Multi method analysis to run menu 104pr2007 Changed cort interval computation method 24012007 the same camera trap data Under Added Multi State models 100ct2007 this system the probability of New see Online book in Help menu leopards occurring in each of the 100 km blocks surveyed would be j 07 USGS reported MacKenzie et al 2002 E Prote US ni a proposed a method for 7 7 wildlife TESCCT J consiitants determining the probability of detecting a species or estimating lt lt lt lt New see Online book in Help menu gt gt gt gt the proportion of an area occupied by a species within appropriate landscape level sampling units A series of sites survey blocks are surveyed over two successive occasions or by different observers who attempt to detect the targeted species through observing its sign or by recording actual sightings including captures by automatic cameras The species may or may not be detected in each block during the survey a matrix of 1 s presence observed and zeros not observed are used by the Program PRESENCE derive estimates of detection nondetection PRESENCE can be downloaded from http www mbr wrc usgs gov softwar
20. Camera Traoping Manual for the Arabian Leopard Rodney Jackson M Zafar ul Islam Ahmad Boug amp Abdulla Al Shehri National Wildlife Research Center Taif Saudi Arabia Saudi Wildlife Authority SWA Riyadh Saudi Arabia Table of Contents 1 0 Introduction amp Purpose Of this Manual seinen tacts 3 2 0 Status and Ecology of the Arabian Leopard 3 3 0 What Type of Surveys are Most Appropriate cccccccsccseccseceseceseeenceeceeeeeueeeneeeceeeeseeeeeees 4 4 0 A Primer on Designing and Conducting Camera Trap SUrVeyS ccccsccsecseceeceeececeseeseeeeeeees 7 5 0 SS eee cee ae enn sare gens A ted eed cos ee A A sauna ted tecce es 20 6 0 Deploying Camera traps for OCCUPANCY SULVEYS ccccecceccesceecenseseeeseuceeeeeeeeseuceeseeceeeeeeees 27 7 0 Alois ae ar Cenr et enet Cnet necnes ere ter tt tert ter trent ter tree terre fe errr tere ce ret rte 30 8 0 APENI O E ene ee ee E E EE ee eee ree ee eee 31 List of Appendices Appendix 1 Preparation for conducting a camera trap survey Appendix 2 A TrailMaster 1550 Field Set up Instructions Appendix 2 B Summary of TrailMaster 1550 and Data Collector Operating Instructions Appendix 2 C Summary of Reconyx and Bushnell Trophy Cam Operating Instructions Appendix 2 D Settings of Canon D10 camera used with TrailMaster Appendix 3 A Form No 1 Camera Trap Site Characteristics Appendix 3 B Fo
21. Infrared Trail Active period 24 hours day and night TrailMaster 1550 P value 5 Camera Delay cd 0 2 6 seconds Camera Time shutter activation signal Ct 5 seconds Camera Alive Ca 1 0 hour Frame limit L nL no limit Passcode 2000 Canon D10 Camera Image Size M1 or 8 megapixel 3264 x 2448 fine setting Camera P Program Mode continuous mode ASA 400 Metering mode center weighted average center weighted average AF Frame Center place at center of frame and infrared beam to capture animal Servo AF OFF AF Point Zoom OFF after camera set at desired zoom level if necessary AF assist beam Probably best set to OFF as it will almost certain trouble shy species like nimr for details see below under manual focus Red eye correction OFF Red Eye Lamp OFF Date Stamp Date amp Time facilitates matching images amp events Mute OFF Use ON if you want to draw animal s attention LCD Brightness reduce to File Numbering Continuous Flash Mode auto ON Do Not set on slow synchro Box 6 shows recommended settings for Bushnell and Reconyx camera traps Box 6 Recommended Settings for the Bushnell and Reconyx Passive Infrared Sensors Active Period 24 hours day and night Reconyx Check for number of images taken or percent of memory remaining Trigger On high sensitivity 3 images per event Picture interval Camera delay 2 3 seconds Quiet period
22. L Passcode set to 2000 TrailMaster Data Collector II Stores up to 59 000 events keeps these data tagged to correct TM 1500 unit number even if the batteries are removed It enables downloading event data from the TM 1550 and or uploading to a computer Turning On Off Press COLLDATA amp SEND DATA same time Check Battery Voltage Connect TM Data Collector tor cable then turn unit on Batteries are OK if xF xxun shows Change batteries if bAt or Lob are displayed Always disconnect cable when not in use as it drains battery more quickly Before attempting to download data Ensure each TM1550 has been numbered with same identifier as written on the case Otherwise the TM Data Collector assigns its own arbitrary number and 2 Make sure that the TM1550 TM data Collector and computer all have the same baud rate This should be 9600 baud Setting the Baud Rate o Connect the Data Collector Cable to the Data Collector unit o For data collect hold down COLLDATA for 10 secs it displays Baud Rate Change by using R O ADV o For data send hold down the SEND DATA Check memory space on Data Collector 11 Turn Data collector on It does sum check 88 88 then displays the number o fails stored x F where is 0 255 then the number of units used xx un when xx is 0 59 Collecting data from TM 1550 Receiver o Connect the Male end of the 9 pin serial cable to The Data Collector I and the female pin to the TM1550 o Press C
23. Nichols 1998 computed the width of this added boundary strip using the mean maximum linear distance moved by the tigers that they captured on more than one occasion Boundary strip width was then defined as being half the mean maximum distance moved according to the following equation W 2d m 2 where W is the resulting boundary strip width d is the maximum distance moved and m is the number of maximum distances compared Then the boundary strip of width W must be added around the perimeter of the area covered by camera traps to obtain the sampled area The number of individuals estimated by CAPTURE can then be converted to a density estimated using the formula shown on page 4 of this manual Key assumptions that the CMR study and dataset should meet are as follows Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 20 a Demographic 6 geographic closure no immigration emigration should occur during survey period typically lasting 40 60 days This may have to be relaxed in the case of the Arabian leopard given its apparently very low densities b Equal trappability or catchability equal likelihood of capture among all individuals of the population in other words there should be no trap happy or trap leopards c Each individual is uniquely marked and thus identifiable from all others in population This assumption can be satisfactorily met d All previously captured individuals can be distinguis
24. OLLDATA until coL appears Press SETuP on the TM1550 until Snd appears o Press RO ADV on the TM1550 SnD is displayed and red light on Data Collector flashes as data is transferred When finished the message thu will appear on the TM1550 and cnF on the Data collector o Repeat this process to error check that the data was transferred correctly until message donE Is displayed O Clearing All Data from TM1550 o Press COLL DATA until it shows available unused memory o Press SEND DATA to show ALL on display then press SEND DATA again to display SnD and ALL are flashing alternately o Press SEND DATA so that Cl r and ALL are displayed alternately Press R O OUT to display Cl r and ALL are display alternately o Hold down COLL DATA while unit clears data from the memory bank O Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 34 See manual Page 5 for instructions on how to transfer or clear selected data Sending Data to PC Computer Connect 9 pin male connector of TM StatPack to female connector of TM Data Collector II and other end to your computer s serial port With StatPack set to File Import New data Press SEND DATA ALL should be displayed for selected file Canon Powershot D10 Digital Camera We recommend setting the operating parameters of the D10 camera as listed below Consult the manufacturer s operating manual for details Set current date amp time prompted on
25. TM Multi camera Trigger Il e Cables E TRAILMASTER Optional Items include E 5 TM Data Collector optional E Z TM Data Collector E Jata Retrieval amp Storage INTERVALOMETER TM Intervalometer optional TM StatPack optional statistical analysis of events and images Trailmaster allows one to have three or more Canon D10 digital cameras triggered by connecting cables to one or two multi triggers as shown in the diagram opposite This system is by far the more difficult of the three units to set The other two camera traps Reconyx and Bushnell utilize passive infrared PIR sensors to trigger their built in camera This sensor covers a far wider zone of detection than the TrailMaster s narrow straight beam of infrared light which can target specific sized animals by height and body bulk By contrast the PIR sensors are triggered by any small and large animals moving through the detector s cone like area of sensitivity Both models are similarly sized compact units which are easy to set as they lack external cabling like the TrailMaster 1550 The Reconyx Hyperfire HC500 low glow camera is exceptionally fast taking up to 2 images per second in near video mode with a resolution of 3 1 megapixels and comes with a mapping program Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 9 The Bushnell at less than half the price of a Recon
26. Trigger ON Sensitivity high Pictures per trigger set to 1 or 3 max 3 taken per movement triggering Picture interval Time between each event suggest setting this at 5 or 10 secs Quite Period No delay OK to return to remaining options under Level 3 Time Lapse leave OFF Resolution 1080p Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 38 Night mode use Balanced Illuminator ON may have to turn off for leopard Date Time Temp change these if they are not correctly set in order year month day hour minute and temperature Alter each desired item confirm with OK This returns you to Level 2 or the QuickSet Options Then select Main Menu to get you back to Level 1 required for arming the camera Codeloc 4 digit Security Code or Password User Label allows name up to 16 characters to be added to each photo taken which is useful for identify the site where the image was captured User Defaults cancels all user applied settings and returns to default parameters Use Main Menu to return to levels 1 amp 2 Number of Pictures Taken Switch camera on and allow it to run through its initialization the Read Card message is displayed on the LCD Then press the gt or lt buttons until lt check status gt is displayed press OK to get the number of pictures of card filled and of battery power remaining Test IR Sensor To test the zone of detection press WalkT
27. adjustments made under Tools icon Mute set to OFF Use ON if you want to draw animal s attention If mute 1s off you can select amount of volume LCD Brightness reduce to 2 File Numbering Continuous remember to give each SD memory card a number and keep it associated with same camera for ease of data management Flash Mode Controlled using right center control button on the back of camera Leave setting on Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 35 automatic or for faster picture taking set to always on Do Not set on slow synchro Recommended Battery saving Functions Set LCD brightness to 1 2 Review information OFF since no one is present after set up no review of the images being captured is required This greatly increases battery life Display review time can also be reduced to 10 or 30 secs Other Options for reducing time needed to take a picture Set in Program Mode Set focus to manual Advise setting camera on Program rather than Auto mode Use ASA 200 good compromise between speed and low light conditions Metering mode center weighted average selection Function button the dot and pick Check for exposure and if necessary adjust press button Language can be set to English or Arabic Adjust white balance only if images have color shift see manual Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 36 Appendix 2 8 Summa
28. adows across heated rocks Population Density Estimates using Camera Traps These surveys aim to establish the number and density of animals occurring within the study area Density estimates are reliant upon the ability to identify different individuals This enables the use of the Capture Mark Recapture CMR algorithm to estimate population size based on the number of marked individuals released into the population and later recaptured Nichols 1992 D N A W where D is the resulting leopard density N is the population size computed by CAPTURE and A W is the resulting area sampled including the boundary strip see section on Data Analysis A critical step is to estimate the size of the area being surveyed since out lying traps in the network will only sample the edges of those animals largely living outside of the study area The larger the area surveyed the smaller the effect of such edge effect on the overall observed abundance of leopards and hence the density estimate generated Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 6 4 0 A Primer on Designing and Conducting Camera Trap Surveys The ultimate goal in developing a camera trap CMR survey is to maximize the size of the study area relative to the number of traps and effort available to deploy them within the time frame necessary to meet the assumption of a closed population i e the sampling period should be short enough to ensure that no births de
29. al approach but until procedures for gathering 50 or more scats are developed population size will be difficult to establish using this non invasive technique Perez et al 2006 Nevertheless it is strongly recommended that NWRC investigate further since a combination of photographic and genetic survey techniques can be expected to produce the best overall results 3 0 What Type of Surveys are Most Appropriate As noted above almost nothing is known about the population status or distribution of the Arabian leopard in Saudi Arabia Judas et al 2006 Conservation Strategy Plan 2010 Filling these gaps will require a staged approach whereby areas with confirmed recent records are first field checked in order to update information contained in the 2006 IUCN Cat Specialist Group Special Issue No 1 Spalton and Hikmani 2006 Figure 1 Judas et al 2006 The second step would entail more intensive site specific field surveys embracing camera trapping and fecal genotyping Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 4 targeting areas holding the highest potential for harboring a resident and or breeding leopard population i e areas with little human activity and containing topographically steep or strongly broken habitat The National Conservation Strategy 2010 called for each Member Country to establish National Survey and Monitoring Programs to assess known and possible existing Arabian leopard populations and
30. aths or emigration immigration occur during the survey The software program CLOSURE tests for population closure which typically occurs after periods of 60 80 days see later 4 1 Sampling Design Considerations The first step is to define the extent of the study or survey area This might be on the basis of a grid e g 10 x 10 km sub blocks or using natural features such as a watershed where each wadi becomes the sampling unit Figure 1 Figure 1 Alternatives for Defining Study Area and Sampling Sub Blocks A Survey Area Subdivided into Watersheds B 250 km area divided into 10 X 10 km grids Figure 2 Theoretical Homes Ranges overlain over 10 x 10 km Survey Grids 40 50 km2 Home Ranges overlain on a 10 x 10 km grid Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 7 The size of the study area will depend up such factors as available manpower logistics especially within study area access and the number of camera traps available for use With a low density species like the Arabian leopard the Golden Rule is to sample as large an area as possible although compromises will often have to be made We suggest 500 km as the minimum sized study area with 800 1 000 km or more being ideal given that adult male leopards home ranges may be 400 km or more in size This is based on the premise that 500 km may fully enclose a single range only with the edges of any neighboring cats intruding upon its
31. being the high incidence of infrared light at these times which are likely to repeatedly set the camera off false triggering If there is no choice but to face sensors to the east or west try to use a nearby hillslope or large rock to prevent the sun s beam from falling on the unit when it is lowest on the horizon Make sure there is no vegetation within the sensing zone that could move in the wind for this will set the cameras off i e heat in motion for PIR sensors and blocking of the fixed infrared beam for the Active Infrared TM1550 sensor Make sure the TrailMaster s transmitter and receiver are absolutely stable and also cannot be moved by wind this too will trigger the device The same applies to Bushnell and Reconyx which are also sensitive to movement of vegetation within their zones of detection For these reasons camera traps should never be secured to small trees that can be moved by wind nor should they face plants bushes grasses or tree branches which are prone to wind movement All vegetation has to be removed from the TM1550 beam or the general area of the passive Infrared camera s sensor see the manufacturer s manual for details Place cameras no closer than 2 meters from where you expect the leopard to trigger the camera this will give a blurred image with only part of the body featured and no further than 4 meters as this will give an image that s likely too small to reveal much detail about the leopa
32. capture recapture data Environmental and Ecological Statistics 6 197 209 CloseTest is available for download from the internet at the US Geological Survey site dedicated to CAPTURE Analysis of camera trap data is done using the software program CAPTURE which with its User Manual is available for download from www cnr colostate edu gwhite software html Appendix 4 provides annotated details of how to structure CAPTURE input files as unformatted text or an ASCII file Capture History datasets can be run interactively and on line by copying amp pasting in data into a web window http www mbr pwrc usgs gov software capture html recommend that the capture history information be grouped into occasions totaling 3 5 days in order to increase capture probabilities closer to the desired level of 0 20 or greater This can be achieved by running CAPTURE with different duration occasions or sessions such as 3 day intervals 5 day intervals and 7 day intervals Using the capture matrix software CAPTURE then generates the following matrix for analysis statistical assessment and model fitting Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 22 Hypothetical Summary Capture Mark Recapture Statistics derived from previous table 1 2 3 5 7 89 Total number of animals caught photographed during each occasion Total number of unique individuals caught previously to this trapping interval Number of
33. ckly the cameras should be placed at 45 in order to give time for the camera to wake up and capture at least one image 2 3 photographs are clearly preferable For the rapidly firing Reconyx or Bushnell PIR sensors we need to deploy only one unit at each site for the following reason These cameras can be set to take up to three 3 images for each movement detected termed an event with two to five maximum seconds delay between each triggering thus allowing for multiple sets of pictures from any single visit Since these camera traps respond extremely rapidly Reconyx 0 91 Bushnell 1 38 seconds they can be placed at right angles to the path of travel in order to capture a full side view of the animal However don t place it too close in the case of the Bushnell camera trap for the string LEDs leave a featureless white image By placing the camera at a place of special interest e g a waterhole leopard scrape or mark rock scented with Calvin Klein or by deploying a call box we are seeking to get the animal s attention for several seconds or minutes thus giving it time to move around and change its body position with respect to the camera trap In Mongolia we found that both sides of snow leopards were often represented if we placed our PIR traps at a fresh scrape or similar social marking site One could also hang a chicken wing from a nearby tree branch with the expectation that a curious leopard will investigate if i
34. e but must reflect presence or absence within relevant sampling occasion 1 or O or The following shows the various possibilities for a 3 occasion detection nondetection survey 000 e Species is absent on all occasions or e Species may be is present but was not detected during the survey 111 e Species is present and detected on all three occasions 100 e Species present and detected on the 1 occasion only e Species present but not detected on next two occasions Examples of Covariates Environmental information for assessing factors influencing species use of a site may include such factors as presence or absence of a permanent waterhole large trees large bodied prey e g ibex while other factors such as the level of human activity evidence of hunting bullet cartridges present human foot prints presence of traps and livestock grazing may vary temporally Survey Duration Sampling Interval and Number of Sample Occasions The suggested protocol for the Arabian leopard given its rarity very low visitation rates and the difficulty of finding sign is a survey with repeated occasions every 2 weeks duration N up to 6 occasions depending upon how often camera traps are move over the course of the survey where the data is provided from camera traps that are in place for continuous successive periods MacKenzie et al 2002 recommend a minimum of 3 replicates per site with detection probabilities of gt 0 5 It
35. e course of the survey This means that all traps must be placed along those features used frequently by the Arabian leopard for moving about their large home range Based on studies in Oman leopard home ranges are estimated at some 400 km for adult males and 200 km for females after cubs have grown become more mobile and less demanding in terms of food Of course these may vary widely depending upon the available prey base the extent of preferred habitat and degree of human disturbance 4 5 Details of Sensor Operation and Placement Figure 3 indicates how the Reconyx passive infrared camera trap sensors heat in motion Differences in heat and motion are detected by comparing infrared wavelengths along two horizontal detection bands as well as six zones 1 6 within each band Detection range depends upon the difference between ambient temperature and that of the animal but it is up to 30 m with nighttime infrared illumination being limited to half this distance Range in Bushnell is similar Figure 3 Reconyx Hyperfire Motion Detector NOTE Detection zones differ between 1080p images below and 3 1 MP images right 2 eZ et 1 Y aa 1 on a tis 3 Ci aes ean es 0 NA oe Once the camera is in place use the Walktest mode to PIR MOTION DETECTOR COVERAGE AREA aim it correctly As you
36. e expected to walk past the camera trap Too close and one loses the full body image too far and the spots or rosettes may not be detailed enough for definitive identification at first capture Two opposing cameras should be deployed at each TrailMaster 1550 camera trap Since the Reconyx and Bushnell are set to taken three images at each event with a delay of 2 3 seconds 3 9 images can reasonably be expected from each visitation as long as traps are set at places where the animal is moving slowly By deposited some artificial scent directly in front of the camera trap it can be expected to stop and investigate the unusual odor Photographs of both sides of the body will result if it turns around sniffs and scrapes as was commonly observed with snow leopards for camera traps placed at communal scrape sites Jackson personal observation Note that it is also possible to sex adults based on body size and the presence of testes Male leopards have large heads and more robust chests as shown by photographs of captive animals at the NWRC breeding facility in Taif Semi automated identification may be facilitated using the pattern software contained in this workshop s CD 5 3 Data Analysis The software program CloseTest can be used to test capture recapture data for closure It was prepared by Dr Thomas R Stanley and Jon D Richards For background information see the paper by Stanley T R and K P Burnham 1999 A closure test for time specific
37. e of 1 00 to the best model but the selection values are relative so there is some room for interpretation However Otis et al 1978 recommend selecting one with a value 0 90 and which has acceptable goodness of fit Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 23 Figure 9 Summary of Closed Population Models Evaluated by CAPTURE From Jackson et al 2005 Model Comments Too simplistic for most free living populations Jackknife estimator increases robustness Very sensitive to behavioral response or innately varying capture probabilities Allows capture probabilities to vary by behavioral re sponse trap happy or trap shy individuals after first capture Needed for testing relation ships between models Needed for testing relation ships between models Under this model each indi vidual has its own probability of first capture Needed for testing relation ships between models Appropriate Estimator Null model against which all others can be compared Jackknife None available None available Generalized removal None available Sources of variations in capture probabilities None 1 e capture probabilities are constant with respect to all factors Incorporates only 2 parameters population size amp capture probability Heterogeneity each individual has its own capture probability which remains constant over sampling period Time al
38. e presence html Data Input Form File Edit Simulate Help rows 39 cols 5 No Occ season 5 No Site Covar 0 No Sampling Covar 0 Presence Absence data Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 27 The observer develops a spreadsheet in which rows represent sampling units or sites and columns present different sampling occasions each of 3 5 days in duration a 1 indicates that a leopard capture or observation of fresh sign occurred during the particular occasion while a 0 indicates 4 l no capture anda is used for missing data i e the site was not sampled on all occasions due to camera malfunction or other factors PRESENCE does no need equal sample size for all sites It is also possible to include site specific covariates and sampling or survey specific covariates Examples of site covariates include type of terrain presence or absence of a key prey species such as ibex presence or absence of livestock grazing etc A survey related covariate is typically weather or effort data The software program will generate an estimate of occupancy psi and an estimate of detection probability p The former is typically a function of habitat while the latter reflects environmental conditions such as air temperature Basically Presence Absence surveys follow the same general procedures described in earlier chapters The study area is divided into 10 x 10 km survey blocks 100km Researchers then visit the fi
39. eld and sample contiguous blocks of at least 500 km in size and preferably more 700 1 000 km especially at southern end of the leopard s range near Yemen border The size of the survey areas can be decreased as one moves northward since the range becomes more fragmented Karanth and Nichols 2003 describe sampling strategies for deciding how to proceed with sampling in the case of fragmented ranges For examples of a typical camera trapping survey application see the handouts provided and titled Chapter 13 Analyzing camera trap data with PRESENCE and Worked Examples and Exercises in PRESENCE Key Assumptions of Occupancy Surveys We are applying the single season model which assumes that all parameters are constant across sites including detection probability for species times locations or sampling methods However the model does allow for some movement of individuals between sites Models are available for examining the assumption that all sites or samples are detected with a single probability 1 group constant p model and for looking at survey specific detection probabilities i e p varies over the course of the survey but is the same for all sites during a particular survey session Model assumptions are 1 Sites are closed to changes in occupancy between sampling occasions 2 No heterogeneity which cannot be explained by covariates if these are applied 3 Detection process is independent at each site or surv
40. est The red light will blink every time the sensor detect motion enabling you to aim it as desired Note that the camera will remain in test mode until the OK button is pressed again The camera will self arm after a period of 2 minutes in which it detects no motion If the camera is already correctly placed selected Arm Camera option and press OK to put in into Active mode immediately Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 39 2 Bushnell Trophy Cam 2 models camouflaged and non camouflage are the same LED IR Flash Motion Low Battery Lens Indicator Lock Hole Fig 1 Connections PIRS e TV Out USB Port 3 hie eS Fee LE acne liran 8 SR NE P on ae ie ae SD Card Slot DC In Cable to Battery Compartment RIGHT Shot Fig 2 Button and Switch Guide operationally Front View LCD Screen Power Mode Switch The Bushnell has a 5 megapixel image sensor a 50 field of view Ins and a infrared lighting range of 12 15 meters Available picture sizes are 3264x2448 8MP 2560x1920 SMP and 2048x1536 SMP The 8MP is slower which is why we recommend using SMP The maximum SD card capacity is 16GB It has a response time trigger speed of 1 38 seconds It uses 8 AA batteries the Energizer Lithium Ultimate is also recommended for their longer life and better performance at both hot and cold temperatures However NiMH batteries can be used in the Bushnell camera trap Page 40
41. est occasions 1 9 task model selection occasions 1 9 task population estimate occasions 1 9 NULL JACKKNIFE REMOVAL ZIPPEN DARROCH task population estimate occasions 1 9 MT CH MH CH MTH CH title Snow Leopard Survey Example Title you give to the survey task read captures occasions 9 x matrix Refers to x matrix format of the data in this case having 9 sampling occasions for each animal format a5 4x 9f1 0 Format information needed by software to process the data where a5 indicates the number of characters in the ID 4x the number of spaces between the ID and data which the program will skip over 9 the number of trapping occasions f1 0 indicates single integer or data without any decimal points where 1 captured during sample occasion or 0 not captured during sample occasion read input data PLACE DATA HERE take special care to ensure it is formatted corrected This is best done in a text editor that adds no special formatting and records characters in their simple ASCII format task closure test occasions 1 9 This instructs CAPTURE to run the closure test for all occasions task model selection occasions 1 9 This confirms population estimates will be based on all sampling occasions task population estimate occasions 1 9 NULL JACKKNIFE REMOVAL ZIPPEN DARROCH This instructs CAPTURE to estimate populations of the listed models Null Model Mo Heterogeneity Model Mn Trap Response or Removal Model Ms and
42. ey block However the search effort should be similar for each survey block or at least standardized Search effort is best expressed as the number of search hours per 100 km of survey block but could also be recorded as the number of kilometers walked These would be converted and standardized later to the number of kilometers walked 100 km in the event that watersheds wades are used as the standard unit for survey blocks Other important assumptions are a Thesame methods and detection units must be used throughout the survey b Any observations of sign an indicator of presence must tally with the current sampling occasion only i e these cannot overlap between sampling intervals Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 28 c Observers should be given the same training so that their observational abilities and skills can be similar especially with respect to aging of sign such as feces tracks and scrapes d Camera traps should be placed in locations with high probability of detecting leopards Type of Evidence which can be used for Predicting Presence Absence e Camera traps captures 2 4 per 100 km deployed at same density across each of the survey blocks could express these as the traps unit area and captures as yes or 1 or no or O or missing data e Visual sightings and sign feces tracks scrapes etc 1 or 0 or e Interviews of local people as abov
43. fficiently removed from the intensive urbanization found along the top of the plateau or in the low lying agricultural areas along the plains stretching to the Red Sea In the last few decades numerous houses along with dirt tracks or narrow paved roads have been constructed in many areas These have the effect of fragmenting potential leopard habitat and making it more difficult to find areas large enough to support more than one or two contiguous home ranges 4 6 Other Reminders on Setting Camera Traps Make sure that you go into the field properly equipped prepared Be sure to check that the equipment is working properly Appendix 1 lists both essential and recommended equipment along with important pre survey preparation reminders Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 14 Follow the instructions and illustrations provided in the handouts describing the three makes of camera traps Appendices 2 A to 2 C For additional information consult the camera trap manual prepared for leopards Henschel and Ray 2003 or snow leopards Jackson et al 2005 since PIR Passive Infrared and AIR Active Infrared systems function in a standard manner irrespective of the targeted species The key points to remember are summarized in Box 4 Box 4 Important Tips when Setting Camera Traps Never point the PIR sensor or TM 1550 receiver window toward the rising or setting sun especially when itis low on the horizon The reason
44. g interviews sign and camera traps This type of survey has been termed a Systematic Presence absence Survey by Henschel and Ray 2003 and Jackson et al 2005 Presence absence is best validated through the use of camera traps and or fecal genetic surveys since sightings and local reports are highly subject to bias resulting from variation in observation skills the misidentification of species or their sign or uneven interview effort However if presence absence surveys include camera trapping or fecal genotyping as informational sources then the abundance information generated will be most helpful in prioritizing those areas meriting more intensive camera trapping where the primary objective is to estimate the total population size and its density Surveys in which limited camera traps are placed out can provide the following kinds of information e Minimum number of individual leopards captured during Survey X between date 1 and date 2 e Number of captures all photos per 100 trap nights e Capture frequency number of nights between successive captures of Species X Note that you need to adjust the total number of trap nights by subtracting each night that a trap is known or was judged to be inoperative or malfunctioning and thus not able for sampling having a probability of detection at zero In addition be sure to report the number of falsely trigged photographs i e images triggered by moving vegetation the sun or moving sh
45. g with local tribal leaders and supported by a general public awareness raising program In some instances such as Jebel Radwa it may not be possible to leave without high risk of them being removed or stolen The use of less intrusive camera traps like Bushnell or Reconyx over the TrailMaster 1550 as well as placing cameras away from trails frequented by local people may also be required depending upon conditions in the survey area Given the fact that wadi s represent good trapping locations a local person could be hired to place the trap out each afternoon and remove it the next morning so that it is displayed during the most vulnerable time It is recommended that the NWRC purchase the special optional tamper proof metal security enclosures which are available from each manufacturer or make their own based on proven designs Similarly Master Python locks can be used to secure each unit to a tree or an post imbedded in concrete useful in the case of permanent trap sites Installing the TrailMaster within protective cases is currently being investigated but it will be virtually impossible to protect any device from a person determined to remove or damage it Having said this it is still worth labeling each camera indicating the owner of thee camera traps and purpose of the study for example Property of the Leopard Research Project of NWRC NWCD Please do disturb Please contact lt name gt lt Phone gt 4 9 Other Recommendations
46. hed from unmarked non captured individuals i e individual identification must be reliably amp unambiguously achieved This is also met as the cat s spot pattern do not change with age However note that both sides of the animal must be photographed for definitive identification 5 2 Identification of Captured Leopards All leopards photographed can be identified following procedures described by Henschel and Ray 2003 and available for download from http www savingwildplaces com media file low leopard pdf Figure 8 Identifying Individual Leopards on basis of Lateral Body Spot Patterns Fig 8 Example of the unambiguous identification of the same male leopard ES kos r a gt 7 using camera trap photographs of the characteristic spot pattern on the flanks S rmn Ne T 4 4 P i 1 J ade q j ge of gt Like its African cousin the Arabian leopard is most easily identified by the spotting pattern found on the left and right flanks of the body as shown in the Figure 8 taken from taken from Henschel and Ray 2003 pages 34 35 The left photograph shows the same individual the right shows two different individuals both show left side of the body Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 21 In order to obtain suitable photographs it is important that the camera be placed 2 3 meters from the place where the leopard would b
47. huk R and D O Hunter 2006 Estimating Snow Leopard Population Abundance Using Photography and Capture Recapture Techniques Wildlife Society Bulletin 34 3 772 781 Jackson Rodney M Jerry D Roe Rinchen Wangchuk and Don O Hunter 2005 Surveying Snow Leopard Populations with Emphasis on Camera Trapping A Handbook The Snow Leopard Conservancy Sonoma California 73 pages Available for download http snowleopardconservancy org publications htm Judas J Paillat P Khoja A and A Boug 2006 Status of the Arabian Leopard in Saudi Arabia pages 11 19 In CAT NEWS Special Issue No 1 Status and Conservation of the Leopard on the Arabian Peninsula Cat Specialist Group IUCN and Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife Karanth K U 1995 Estimating tiger Panthera tigris populations from camera trap data using capture recapture models Biological Conservation 71 3 333 338 as well as subsequent publications Karanth K U and J D Nichols 1998 Estimation of tiger densities in India using photographic captures and recaptures Ecology 79 8 2852 2862 Karanth K U and J D Nichols eds 2002 Monitoring Tigers and their Prey a manual for researchers managers and conservationists in tropical Asia Centre for Wildlife Studies Bangalore India 193 pages Kozlov D 2009 ReNamer s user manual shareware available for download from http www snapfiles com downloads denReNamer didenReNamer html gt MacKe
48. iffs along crest line ridges with saddles and low passes between adjacent valleys near promontories point land offering good view of the land Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 44 below or along shoulder ridges that offer a natural pathway from valley floor to a mountain preferably with many large boulders and promontory points along its length The narrower the ridge the more likely leopards are to mark along the feature 8 Vegetation type Barren BAR Less than 10 of the ground has vegetation cover Grassland GRA Dominant vegetation is grassland Shrubland SHR Dominant vegetation consists of shrubs Woodland WOO Dominated by open trees and savanna Forest FOR Tree cover exceeds 30 Crop fallow field CRO Cultivated or fallow land Other OTH Other habitat type such as field describe 9 Rangeland grazing Use Seasonal 1 Area grazed seasonally by livestock indicate if during the spring summer or winter Year round grazing 2 Area grazed throughout the year by livestock No Use 0 Area 15 not grazed by livestock 10 Human use High impact 3 Widespread evidence of poaching or other disturbances to wildlife in the area e g presence of traps regular reports of hunting pervasive depletion of the prey base intense competition for forage from livestock etc Moderate impact 2 Moderate level of disturbance by people Low impact Human disturbance is present but the impacts of such activities are judged to be min
49. imal and not currently a threat to leopards No human impact 0O People rarely visit area neither they do not hunt or disturb local wildlife impact is thus negligible Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 45 Appendix 3 B Form No 2 Camera Trap Site Monitoring Location Form of Site No Previous Location SD Card No amp Setup Date Setup Time Date Removed PUGMARK SCAT DATE NAMEOF FRAME SGN MEASUREMENT amp replaced SD card number amp CHECKED PERSON S amp PRESENT eae type battery level DDMMYY CHECKING EVENTS COLLECTION 1 See 1 2 3 camera malfunction etc Sensor amp Camera Settings see operating instructions for details Note under comments if these are changed later TrailMaster P cd Record Times Time 1 to Time 2 to Reconyx Continuous Day Only Night Only No Frames event __ Camera Time Delay Bushnell Continuous Day Night No Frames event Camera Time Delay Sensor Placement Aspect Height cm Camera Dist to Trail Camera 2 Camera Settings Speed ASA Mode Auto L Program Sound L On O Off File numbering Continuous Auto Reset mode Image numbers Start Ending Other Notes Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 46 Append
50. imply record that each unit s number Only the TM will have a multi trigger ID number 2 Leopard Sign probably not relevant in Saudi Arabia Scrape Site Non telic 0 Usually only one scrape is present at the site or all the scrapes and feces are about the same age No evidence of repeated use Relic 1 Usually there are numerous 3 10 scrapes present of various ages Due to remarking some or most scrapes have a sculptured appearance Feces of many different ages may also be present Type of sign present at site Scrape SC Scrape made by a leopard or other felid Scratch canid only SR Scratch made by a canid Feces scat FE Scat or dropping Urine UR Urination mark Scent spray RC Scent mark Claw rake CL Claw mark made on a tree trunk or rock face and left by a felid Pugmark PU Footprint impression or track Sign age or visibility by type of sign present Aging needs to be validated for the Arabian Leopard Scrape Very old Q Extensive weathering and disintegration scrape features poorly defined often with vegetation growth in the depression and on the pile age at least 3 to 6 months Old 1 Moderate weathering and disintegration with the scrape showing a rounded form occasionally with vegetation in the depression or on the pile age several months or more Fresh 2 Slight weathering Scrape has a well defined form with sharp edges is easily recognizable and has no new vegetation growing in the scrape de
51. including herders O High LJ Moderate lJ Low O None 2 Leopard Sign Present Record all sign present Comments including number amp age within 10 m Pugmarks spoor or tracks Draw diagram of the site include sensor amp camera Size length x diameter locations with aspect height Complete DNA form Age Class Scrapes Number present Size width x length Age Classes Rock scent Number present Age Classes Feces __ Collected for DNA Sample Number present Size length x diameter Age Class 4 Other Carnivore amp Prey Sign List species amp sign type describe kill site Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 42 Description and Codes 1 Sensor Type Itis important to keep a careful record of sensor and camera numbers in order to track data by both site camera amp photograph number and to make it easier to maintain the survey database if sensors and or cameras are shifted from one site to another On the Set up form Form No 1 record only the units first deployed at the site The Site Visitation Forms 2 should be used to keep track of images sensor and camera numbers throughout the survey TrailMaster 1500 or 1550 TM Reconyx RE Bushnell Trophy Cam BT Record the sensor and camera numbers given to each item Note you need to record camera numbers for the TrailMaster since these can be mixed between sensors All other cameras form part of the sensor unit so s
52. ind of places and features where leopards are most likely to be photo trapped Box 3 Criteria for Camera trap Site Selection In the general vicinity of a reliable and recent report less than 2 months to one year old and in decreasing order from a confirmed sighting alive or dead to tracks and vocalizations Well defined steeply sloped and narrow ridges at elevations above 1 000 m preferably above 1 800 2 000 meters Promontories peaks and high view or vantage points Wadi s with seasonal or permanent water which are little visited or disturbed by humans Areas where ibex can be sighted preferable in groups of 5 20 individuals rather than one or two individuals Along narrow cliff ledges in areas with ibex and or robust populations of hyrax where hunting poaching pressures are limited Rocky areas with an abundance of caves or overhangs for cover or dens and with year round water Areas little grazed by domestic livestock however livestock may represent an important food source for the Arabian leopard Funnel points between isolated massifs e g Jabal Asraf Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 10 Maximizing the likelihood of photographing a leopard is by far the single most important action that the survey team can take t is imperative that all camera traps to be located in places which maximize the chances of capturing any leopard that may happen to visit the immediate area during th
53. is rather doubtful that these can be met in the case of the Arabian leopard however It is better to survey more smaller sites than a few large sites The following website offers some good examples that illustrate the potential of Occupancy modeling http www uvm edu envnr vtcfwru spreadsheets abundance abundance htm Data Analysis The GENPRES software can used to simulate presence absence data to be input to programs MARK or PRESENCE It can be used to get an idea of how precise the estimates are for given sample effort or design or the bias of estimates when heterogeneity exists A User Manual and numerous exercises are available for the program PRESENCE Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 29 7 0 References Cat Specialist Group IUCN and Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife 2010 Strategy for the Conservation of the Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula Edited by U amp C Breitenmoser D Mallon and J Ashley Edmonds Harris G R Thompson JL Childs amp JG Sanderson 2010 Emerging Technologies Automatic Storage and Analysis of Camera trap Data Bulletin of Ecological Society of America pages 352 360 Henschel P and J Ray 2003 Leopards in African Rainforests Survey and Monitoring Techniques Global Carnivore Program Wildlife Conservation Society 50 pages New York available for download from http www savingwildplaces com media file low leopard pdf Jackson R Roe J D Wangc
54. ix 4 Example of CAPTURE Input File Abstracted from Jackson Rodney M Jerry D Roe Rinchen Wangchuk and Don O Hunter 2005 Surveying Snow Leopard Populations with Emphasis on Camera Trapping A Handbook The Snow Leopard Conservancy Sonoma California 73 pages available for download http snowleopardconservancy org publications htm Information from the Capture History Table 4 Chapter 4 must be entered into an ASCII file in the format shown below for analysis by CAPTURE These data represent the capture histories for 6 snow leopards labeled 1 through 6 for 9 trapping occasions of 5 days each Thus Snow Leopard 1 an adult male was photographed during 7 of the 9 sampling occasions while 6 was only captured once by a camera trap and then during the last trapping occasion The input file should be prepared using an ASCII text editor such as Microsoft Notepad Capture files can be entered interactively according to the screen prompts provided or via batch files See the CAPTURE manual for details which can be downloaded from http www mbr pwrc usgs gov software The file for capture history presented in Table 4 looks as follows the terms are explained in more detail below title title Snow Leopard Survey Example task read captures occasions 9 x matrix format a5 4x 9f1 0 read input data 1AdM 111011011 2AdF 011100011 3 Sub 011010010 4 SubM 000100001 5 AdF 100010000 6 Ad 000000001 task closure t
55. l need to customize the data processing steps to meet its particular needs and to enable information to be inputted into Excel spreadsheets and standard statistical programs for analysis Careful and meticulous management of the camera trap image data base is especially important regardless of the kind of analysis that is undertaken Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 26 6 0 Deploying Camera traps for Occupancy Surveys While et al 1998 reported that the program CAPTURE performs poorly with populations of less than 20 individuals therefore given the Arabian leopard s sparse population it may not be possible to generate a bounded estimate of population size with 95 confidence intervals aim View Run Tools Help recapture estimation is to present pen Projec Open site covar file E 2 1 1 1 c documents and settings darryl my documents workshops montpellier 2008 coursework data br pa2 l t h e camera t ra p In fo rma ti on as C DOCUME 1 Darryl MYDOCU 1 DoC Frogs 2008 subadult pa2 c documents and settings darryl my documents doc frogs 2008 copy of subadults pa2 ki ng Fi le New Project t h e minimum num b er of documents and settings darryl my documentsidoc frogs 2008 f juvs pa2 i soa a cking File Open Project individuals present with standard of to custom model output 23Jun2006 erro r wit h i n t h e su rvey area sued ESE So sees RAA ao file 024ug2006 1 1 1
56. lows capture probabilities to vary by time only Behavior assumes that on any given trapping occasion all unmarked individuals have one probability of capture and all marked individuals another probability of capture Time amp behavior allows capture amp recapture probabilities to vary with time Time amp heterogeneity Behavior amp heterogeneity Time behavior amp heterogeneity Equal or Constant Capture Probability Model Heterogeneity Model Schnabel Model or Variation by time Trap Response Model equivalent to a removal model Time variation in captures or recaptures Both time amp heterogeneity affect capture probabilities Behavior amp Individual Response Model All Effects Model Model Mo Model Mh Model Mt Model Mb Model Mtb Model Mth Model Mbh Model Mtbh Figure 10 from Jackson et al 2005 summarizes the tests CAPTURE uses for determining which model best fits the dataset Tests 1 3 compare the relative fit of the null model with the time heterogeneity and behavior models respectively Tests 4 7 judge the Goodness of Fit of these models and compares the relative fit of the heterogeneity and behavior heterogeneity models While this table offers guidance to determining whether to accept or reject the respective null hypotheses recommend becoming familiar with the underlying theory by reading the monographs by Otis or White et al 1978 1982
57. mory slot Turn unit on Camera reads the card amp reports number of images taken and remaining battery power in percent The Reconyx has a three level menu as shown in the following diagram ON OFF AGGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE IN MEN SCRAPE ADVANCED MA ENU 0 USER USE TRIGGER TIME LAPSE RESOLUTION NIGHT MODE ight og CODELOC LABEL DEFAULTS ge MOTION SENSOR AM HC500 HC600 Balanced YEAR Add Add View on off of ao 1080p 3 1MP High Quality HEHH Change Change ain Menu x off on Fast Shutter Remove Clear Main Menu Main Menu SENSITIVITY PM 1080p 3 1MP MONTH Low Low PERIOD x Jan Dec Med Med off on ILLUMINATOR FINISHED 2 FINISHED LEGEND PICS PER TRIGGER ok 1 2 9 40 HOUR mad 1 12 AM PM OK BUTTON gt ARROW BUTTONS PICTURE INTERVA z ageing MINUTE RED Default Setting 5s 10s 00 TEMPERATURE Fahrenheit Celsius QUIET PERIOD no 15s 30s im 3m 5m FINISHED FINISHED ok ok Select Change Setup Level 1 and Advanced to make any changes to way the camera functions such as triggering data time image resolution night mode user label etc In each case press the forward advance button to search select and set the following functions in order Battery Type Press OK and then scroll through selection options Then select currently installed battery type by pressing OK again Remember Do not mix batteries
58. ms The NWRC Leopard Project team initiated the RAS process in 2009 Mr Abdulla Al Shahay interviewed local people including local herders honey gathers hunters and knowledgeable citizens Five areas were identified for initial camera trapping aimed at verifying presence absence of the leopard in Saudi Arabia 1 An Namas area Tanumah 185700N 421100E at 2782 meters Al Baha Jabal Uthrab 194550N 414200E at 2348 m Jizan Wadi Lajab 173820N 425720E or Jabal Qahar Madinah Jabal Radwa 243000N 381500E at 2282 m Tabuk Wadi Qusayb 28 01N 34 37E nearest town is Al Bad near the Jordan border og a Based on interviews known reputable or probable sightings made within the last 5 10 years were then tabulated Desirable information includes the date month year of the report type of sighting animal seen animal shot carcass found tracks or feces observed reliability of the record i e whether it is a first or second hand observation along with the relative observational skills or observer s knowledge of the leopard s behavior the location and whenever possible the approximate geographic coordinates of the record Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 5 Presence Absence Survey using Camera Traps The next step involves a rapid field assessment and visit to each area for the purposes of conducting a presence absence survey or more correctly a detection non detection survey using a combination of ongoin
59. nd should enter Weakest signal Red alignment light is flashing g ith th but alignment of not optimal Light tube is Cont in se directly under front of the sight line Kocaer RADA SOOO x T en hens RR TRORA A SAK V FIG 6 lt Strongest signal Red alignment is flashing gt find approximate center of emitted beam CORRECT ALIGNMENT Center of infrared beam is directly aligned with Receiver Window Sey top view INCORRECT ALIGNMENT Center of infrared beam is aligned with weak infrared signal emittted beam is aimed too far left emitted beam is aimed too high side views top views emitted beam is aimed too far right emitted beam is aimed too low The optimal height for the TrailMaster 1550 sensor is 35 40 cm above ground level such that the beam is broken by the leopard s body rather than its limbs see Figure 5 The same holds for Reconyx and Bushnell camera traps since body temperature of the abdomen and chest should be higher than the animal s extremities Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 12 Figure 5 Sensor Alignment including TM1550 Active Sensor for a snow leopard Jackson et al 2005 Regardless of whether active or passive trail monitors are used each camera trap should be placed 2 4 meters from where you expect the leopard to walk Figure 6 Figure 6 Suggested TrailMaster
60. nell zone of detection in order to prevent false triggering e f the sensor is facing east or west change the direction to north preferred NW NE or southerly to prevent the other major source false triggering e Are all cables of the TM1550 buried or covered with rocks in order to prevent them being disturbed by passing animals If rodents are present remember to protect the cables in PVC pipe or thick rubber hosing e Is the camera trap well hidden and camouflaged from human eyes e Has scent or another attractant been placed out e Have you completed the standard data form e Have you obtained the GPS location for the site so that you or others will know where to find it again e Does the camera contain a notice requesting people not to disturb it Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 32 Appendix 2 A Summary of 5 6 1550 Canon D10 and Data Collector Il Operating Instructions Turning Unit On Press TIME SET and SET UP at the same time If Password Activated Enter correct number one by one using R O ADV amp confirming with TIME SET Repeat for the four code digits in our case 2000 If First Time display shows flashing 8 8 8 8 and enter setup mode Set correct date amp time Press using R O ADV to set value for each DATE amp TIME digit flashing press TIME SET to advance to next digit To change values if Date amp Time is already set Hold down TIME SET for 5 second
61. nsmitter 2 cameras cables multi trigger camera tripods batteries amp memory cards Tape measure 5 m Small voltmeter for measuring battery voltage Magnetic compass to help align sensors and record aspect of the camera trap site Phillips screwdriver GPS for recording geographic locations TM1550 camera trap and Canon D 10 operating manuals PVC cabling if rodents an issue Extra memory cards amp spare batteries Spade or trowel for digging furrow for cables Duct tape string or bungee cords Data forms set up and activity record clipboard and field note book Black permanent making pen pencil or ballpoint pen for note taking Lens paper brush and cleaning fluid plastic ziplock bags for containing the multi trigger and preventing it was being shorted out by moisture during the rainy season Topographic maps of project area 1 50 000 or 1 100 000 Daypack for carrying items Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 31 e Posts hammer amp related tools if alternative means of installing camera traps are not available e Laser point helps orient traps more precisely 3 Checklist for camera trap site setup e s the sensor and camera set with the correct settings number of images camera delay and in the case of the TM1550 the correct P value and Camera Alive interval Make sure that the sensor has been activated e Has all vegetation been removed from the TM1550 beam or the Reconyx Bush
62. nzie DI JD Nichols KH Pollock LL Bailey and JE Hines 2006 Occupancy estimation and modeling inferring patterns and dynamics of species occurrence Elsevier Publishing MacKenzie D J D Nichols G B Lachman S Droege J A Royal and C A Langtimm 2002 Estimating site occupancy rates when detection probabilities are less than one Ecology 83 8 2248 2255 Nichols J D 1992 Capture Recapture Models using marked animals to study population dynamics BioScience 42 2 94 102 Perez l Geffen E and O Mokady 2006 Critically Endangered Arabian leopards Panthera pardus nimr in Israel estimating population parameters using molecular scatology Oryx 40 3 295 301 Spalton JA and HM Al Hikmani 2006 The Leopard in the Arabian Peninsula Distribution and Subspecies Status Pages 4 8 in CAT NEWS Special Issue No 1 Status and Conservation of the Leopard on the Arabian Peninsula Cat Specialist Group IUCN and Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife 2010 Spalton JA Musalam H Hikmani A Willis D and Ali Salim Bait Said 2006 Critically Endangered Arabian leopards Panthera pardus nimr persist in the Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve Oman Oryx 40 3 287 294 Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 30 8 0 APPENDICES List of Appendices Appendix 1 Preparation for conducting a camera trap survey Appendix 2 A TrailMaster 1550 Field Set up Instructions Appendix 2 B Summary
63. of TrailMaster 1550 and Data Collector Operating Instructions Appendix 2 C Summary of Reconyx and Bushnell Trophy Cam Operating Instructions Appendix 3 A Form No 1 Camera Trap Site Characteristics Appendix 3 B Form No 2 Camera Trap Site Monitoring Appendix 4 Example of CAPTURE Input File Appendix 1 Preparation for conducting a camera trap survey 1 Preparing Camera Traps for Deployment Checking Functions amp Customization Test each camera to make sure it is working Test with a walk through Number each camera and sensor unit with a unique identifying number helps track equipment and keep it tagged to right camera trap station Install new batteries and memory cards v Clean dust or other marks off the lens with lens brush amp tissue v Check that camera has desired settings Set to desired time period Number of images to be captured at each event Photos are tagged with correct date amp time Memory card working correctly Ensure flash cameras are not set in the red eye mode f possible set camera to fixed focal length reduces latency time Have the necessary tools to service the sensor and camera in the field Obtain topographic maps for survey area scale 1 50 000 1 100 000 Prepare project specific forms for camera station set up and monitoring Names and contact information for key local people SASS 2 List of Equipment and Supplies Needed Camera traps TM 1550 receiver tra
64. or consulting a statistician Page 24 Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Figure 10 Specific Tests of Assumptions used in Model Selection Procedure from Otis et al 1978 Comments Examines capture frequencies for evidence of variability among individual capture probabilities Examines gross behavior effects on capture probabilities Tests for variation in average daily cap ture probabilities If Mn is true model we expect this test not to reject Test 1 should favor Tests for trap response or time variation or both with large individual recaptures If Morepresents the best model we ex pect this test not to reject Test 2 should show similar favor Test identical to goodness of fit test for simple removal model If Mb is true then this null hypothesis should not be rejected If M is the model then we would expect this test not to reject also we expect Model Mo to be rejected in favor or Mi This test is useful because if we reject Mhn in favor of Mon the estimator to use is the generalized removal method Alternative hypothesis Model M fits data Model Mb fits data Model M fits data Model M fails to fit data As above Model Mb fails to fits data First capture proba bilities vary by time and or individual Recapture probabilities vary by time and or individual Mode M fails to fit the data Model M fits the data Null hypothesis Model
65. potential recovery sites The plan called for presence absence surveys and reports to be completed by 2010 using Rapid Assessment Surveys RAS Box 3 reproduced below in all areas with possible but unconfirmed leopard presence Key sites should be defined through interviews surveys and data collection in the areas with probable leopard presence followed by camera trapping and other techniques in those areas with identified leopard presence Box 2 Rapid Assessment Surveys from Strategy for Conservation of Arabian Leopard 2010 A Rapid Assessment Survey RAS is a relatively brief first order assessment to identify key geographical ecological and social parameters of a pre identified area to prioritize and plan future action A RAS would typically seek to assess e Area extent terrain access and logistics e Habitats vegetation and condition e Leopard field signs tracks scrapes scats local reports time of last record frequency of sightings predation on domestic animals e Prey sightings field signs local reports e Human population size number of settlements land use livestock numbers and extent of grazing local attitudes to leopards Approaches used in a RAS are mainly structured interviews of local people experts complemented by field excursions Because of the short time scale thorough preparation is important collate all available data satellite imagery and maps prepare questionnaires and field survey for
66. pression or pile age to 4 weeks Very fresh 3 Little or no weathering has occurred so that the scrape has a very sharp and clean form is very easily recognizable and has no vegetation in its depression or pile Sand or gravelly material may cover some vegetation causing it to bend down Other ephemeral sign such as tracks or urine may be observed while scats deposited at the same time are obviously still fresh or very fresh age less than 1 week Pugmark Spoor tracks Old Q Pugmark is very poorly defined with an obviously weathered appearance more than 2 weeks old Fresh 1 Pugmark has sharply defined edges and shape several days but less than one week old Very fresh 2 Pugmark is very fresh showing fine surface details and having a very sharp edge made less than 24 hours previously Feces Old 0 Scat is mottled and cracked with a hard dull surface and dry interior several weeks to several months of age Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 43 Fresh 1 Scat is odoriferous and fresh looking with a glossy sheen inside more than 2 days but less than 10 days of age Very fresh 2 Scat 15 still wet outside and moist inside no older than 2 days Scent sprayed Rocks None 0 No detectable odor more than 3 months old Slight Odor is just detectable Moderate 2 Odor is readily detectable Strong 3 Odor is unmistakable Very strong 4 Odor is ve
67. rd s spotting pattern Try to place the camera s at places where the leopard is likely to be moving more slowly or can be expected to linger for a few seconds or minutes if necessary get its attention by using Calvin Klein scent and hanging chicken wings in a nearby tree Pay attention to details and take your time in setting up camera traps double check that the settings are correct see instructions and that the unit has been activated before leaving the site Make sure that you have installed an empty SD memory card 4 7 Camouflaging Camera Traps All camera traps should be camouflaged using special camouflage tape see Final Report for details It may also be possible to use local materials to help conceal camera traps and sensors For example if these are deployed along wadis which constitute movement corridors for many wildlife species one could use various items of litter especially paper or plastic packaging to partially cover camera Or take advantage of the fact that people often discard clothing by hanging these in bushes using the clothing in front of the camera with holes for the sensor and the infrared LEDs Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 15 4 8 Protecting Camera Traps from Theft or Damage Security is a major concern especially given the proximity of most photo trapping sites to human settlements The support of local people is critical requiring dialog and confidence buildin
68. rm No 2 Camera Trap Site Monitoring Appendix 4 Example of CAPTURE Input File Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 2 1 0 Introduction amp Purpose of this Manual This manual has been written to assist the staff of the National Wildlife Research Center NRWC to conduct camera trap surveys of the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard with the primary purpose of 1 determining Presence Absence detection non detection of leopards across the range followed by 2 intensive camera trapping in selected areas in order to establish population size and density where this is feasible Secondary objectives not addressed in detail in this manual include a threats based assessment of each survey area in order to determine and then prioritize conservation actions as recommended under the National Conservation Strategy for the Arabian Leopard 2010 Additional information is contained in the Final Report prepared on the training This manual is intended to serve as general guide for planning and executing camera trap surveys for more information practitioners are referred to manuals like Henschel and Ray s 2003 African Leopard Survey and Monitoring Handbook and to Karanth and Nichol s manual on tiger and prey species monitoring for the rationale behind camera trap theory and survey design In any case this manual will need to be periodically updated from the survey results and we hope an ever increasing knowledge of
69. ry of Reconyx and Bushnell Trophy Cam Operating Instructions 1 Reconyx HC500 Low Glow Passive InfraRed Camera Trap HyperFire Controls amp Parts Diagram Weather Resistant Case i Padlock Handle Loop Infrared 1 1 IR Mask Latch Camera Lens Walktest Light Padlock PIR Motion Loop Backlit LCD Status Menu Panel Weatherproof Gasket Card In Use Status Light Left Right Menu Buttons OK Button Low Battery Status Light SD Card Slot SS mum coer ER AES ODA WARRANTY On Off Power Switch The Reconyx takes images of 1080 HD or 3 1megapixel color by day and monochrome by night It has a trigger speed of 1 5 of a second can take up to 2 frames per second and has a SD card capacity of up to 32Gb Thee nighttime illumination range is 15 meters It can operate on three types of batteries regular AA Alkaline rechargeable NIMH and Lithium While AA alkaline cells can be used but the Energizer Lithium Ultimate battery provides the longest life as well as working better in heat and cold compared to regular alkaline batteries Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 37 Insert the SD Secure Digital memory card into the slow as shown on the diagram above Unlike Bushnell the card needs to be formatted on a computer first using its card reader and the FAT32 file system Always power OFF before insetting or removing a SD card from the camera s me
70. ry strong can be detected from 25 cm or more away less than several weeks old 3 Substrate type Rock 1 Ground surface consists largely of rock Gravelly soil 2 Mixture of small pebbles particle diameter more than 2 mm and soil Sandy soil 3 Sandy appearances with particles having a diameter of less than 2 mm Fine or silty soil 4 Soil consists of fine or very fine particles clay silt and dust Snow 5 Snow dominates Vegetation 6 Vegetation dominates 4 Other Carnivore and prey Sign List any other carnivore sign found within 10 m of the sites such as wolf or fox along with type of sign feces or scat tracks etc and its age using same categories as leopard Also write down any evidence that the prey species of leopard e g ibex hare baboon etc are utilizing the area such as fecal pellets tracks and bedding sites as well as signs of browsing on the vegetation For feces and tracks use the same age codes as leopard For bedding sites 1 e places where an ungulate has lain down to rest can be aged using such combined evidence from the distinctiveness of impressions in the sand where the animal lay freshness of most recent pellet groups or track age Use the 3 categories of old fresh and very fresh with same categories for age where Old or very old 0 sign more than a 7 10 days old up to 6 months or more Fresh 1 use of bed from several days to a week or about 10 days ago Very Fresh 2 bed used within the last day
71. s Setting Beam Sensitivity Camera Delay and Camera Time Zone o Hold TIME SET for 5 seconds o Use R O ADV key to select correct value then press TIME SET to move to next setting or go through each menu item Preferred Values are pulses to miss P 5 Camera Delay or Cd 0 1 6 seconds with Canon D10 set for single frame mode and a Camera Time Ct reset from default of 3 5 secs to 6 or 8 seconds Camera Alive CA value of 1 0 one hour and Frame limit to nL or no limit For 24 hour operation set ON TIME hour 0 1n minute 1n 00 and OFF TIME set at never 1F A time delay of 6 seconds allows the camera s flash to restore itself for the next image make sure the Time Zone is never set at 1n as this will never allow a picture to be taken Set Up Mode Press to SET UP button When in set up mode S uP will be displayed and the Red Alignment Light upper one will flash it will then go into Active Mode after 4 mins if no buttons are pressed Use this time to accurately align the transmitter and receiver with the detection spot when you want a photo taken see manual for details on how the infra red beam works Or you can press TIME SET to directly enter event gathering Active mode Active Mode This will start data collection Press the Set UP button then the Time Set button when you are sure the camera trap is correctly deployed Otherwise the unit automatically enters Active Mode after 4 minutes has elapsed
72. s where to place cameras for achieving high capture rates So again it may be necessary to install more traps in order to increase their density and the likelihood for photographing a leopard more than once during the survey We believe that the goal should be 60 80 traps with the bulk made up of less expensive and visible Bushnell Camo Bone Trophy models These are fast to set especially in areas with trees and far easier to hide than the TrailMaster units We also recommend that the team use a GPS to map the vehicle and foot access routes to camera trap sites especially those in more remote places and monitored by more than one individual 4 2 Camera trap Equipment The Arabian Leopard Project is currently using three different makes of remote camera traps employing the two basic types of sensors namely Active Infrared or AIR in which an invisible beam of light has to be broken for a picture to be taken and the Passive Infrared or PIR system which detects heat in motion These are illustrated on the following page for more information on how each system works see the PowerPoint presentation given at the workshop as well as the manufacturer s instruction manual Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 8 The Active Infrared TrailMaster system consists of the following items EE TRATLMAST ER bs Ce J e TM 35 D10 Camera Kit TM1550 digital e TM 1550 Monitor transmitter amp receiver e
73. s with three resolutions 720x480 640x480 and 320x240 Triggering interval 1 second to 60 minutes programmable Operating temperature 20 C to 60 C and humdity 5 90 Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 41 Appendix 3 A Form No 1 Camera Trap Site Characteristics Province Sub Province Form Number Linked to Survey Area Site ID or Name Name of Person s Date Day Month Yr GPS Lat Long Elevation m Sensor Type ID Camera ID s and Multitrigger ID Site Feature Attracting Leopard 5 Position on slope Circle those items best describing the site O Lower LI Middle LI Upper Travel Corridor Rock Scent 6 Habitat ruggedness See definition amp circle Scrape Site items best describing the site Kall O Cliff O Broken O Very broken Trail Path O Rolling O Flat O Other Waterhole Livestock enclosure 7 Topographic Feature Other describe O Cliff O Ridgeline O Hill slope O Valley Floor O Drainage Wadi J Boulder Field Trail Type circle only one Well defined Moderately well defined Poorly defined or hard to see 8 Vegetation Type O Barren LJ Grassland O Shrubland O Woodland O Cropland fallow field LJ Other 3 Dominant Substrate circle only one ects Rocky 9 Rangeland Grazing Use Seasonal LJ Summer O Winter Gravelly Non seasonal LJ Year round Use O No Use Sandy Fine grained fine silt loam or dust producing very good pugmarks 10 Human Presence
74. some animals becoming trap shy and possibly avoiding the site in effect reducing their chances of being re captures While extending the camera s lens makes a slight noise which might attract the attention of the animal and which in turn may turn its head toward to the camera This could in fact be an advantage leading to a more attractive photograph In any case the TM1550 is also vulnerable to theft on account of the number of equipment items their coloring and the black cabling than the lower visibility PIR models The Reconyx HC500 and Bushnell Trophy Cam are termed low glow camera traps because of the faint red glow seen from LEDs at night these should not disturb wildlife and the unit s operation is soundless Appendix 3 A provides the data form to be used at the time of camera station setup while Appendix 3 B is the standard form to be used during site monitoring visitations number of images taken and for recording such supporting information as new animal sign since set up battery status any equipment malfunctions and any changes made to camera placement or operational settings Information from the set up form can be used to trouble shoot problems later as well as supporting efforts related to the identification of individual leopards Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 18 It is important to note the following information on Form 3 A compass direction in which the camera trap is facing
75. t is moving about in the wind As long as the effort and bait or attractant protocols are standardized it should not have a major effect on the sampling strategy or have Statistical implications under any capture recapture survey There should be no vegetation within the zone off detection since this triggers the sensor leading to numerous false events i e no animal present Secondly the sensors should face to the north rather than east or west because these aspects have much more infrared light which may also thus lead to false triggering and decreased memory space for storing images from desired animal triggered events Cameras need to be sufficiently well hidden i e camouflaged so as to reduce the potential of theft or disturbance by humans visiting the site see later In areas with baboons both cameras and cables should be carefully concealed in order to preclude these primates from shifting or removing them thus rendering the setup nonfunctional Therefore more frequent checks are warranted in areas supporting baboons especially for camera traps set along travel routes used by this species On the other hand baboon vigilance behavior may provide an indicator of leopard predation troops that sleep on steep terrain are likely under greater predatory pressure than those choosing to sleep in more gentle and accessible places Along the Biljurushi Escarpment the best trap sites appear to be above along the middle slopes in areas su
76. the Schnabel Model M respectively task population estimate occasions 1 9 MT CH MH CH MTH CH This instructs Capture to estimate the three models without population estimators namely Time variation in captures or recaptures Mw Time and Heterogeneity Model Mu and the All Effects Model Mwn An alternative would be the statement Task population estimate ALL To get the most appropriate model the command would be Task population estimate APPROPRIATE See CAPTURE User s Guide for Detailed instructions The website site operated by the USGS allows one to run data interactively without downloading and installing the CAPTURE software Visit http www mbr pwrc usgs gov software capture html Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 47 5 ae NS T i n A a 0 SN z a Pi EN LY TE D gt P ae RSL 5 x x 2 5 SRN ee 2 cs ns gt SS tet te a 2s SS SPN E REN gt E r 5 De gt 5 3 gt ane oS SNS Ss gt ALE P ja RASS EN ts N i ENAN N an d Vert 2 DS ENEN A N AN m NS y See ac SSP SORAN NS LESS SN NS n 3 Sxi gt 3 TAR EN i gt A 1 1 y NN SAE Gar t AR ws Se 3 ki Sa SSS z y y AASA Nz AS Shak AN v E R Wes
77. walk in front of it the red walktest light will blink indicating a motion event es Reconyx has a 40 field of view It can capture images up field of view to 30 meters daytime only or the infrared LED s can illuminate up to a distance of 15 m at night Figure 4 indicates how to align the transmitter and receiver units of the TrailMaster 1550 active infrared SIDE VIEW system Since the cameras are linked to the receiver or multi trigger by cable they can be placed anywhere that is best to obtain detailed photographs of passing animals up to 100 feet depending upon temperature and sensitivity settings Camera Trapping Manual for Arabian Leopard NWRC Taif Page 11 Figure 4 Receiver and Transmitter Alignment in the TrailMaster 0 1550 RECEIVER and TRANSMITTER ALIGNMENT The Receiver RX and Transmitter TX should be mounted on trees up to 150 apart Loosely mount the TX and RX to the trees Then use the sight line on the RX to align the Receiver A Window with the TX The final step is to fine S tune the Transmitter s alignment by rotating it left and right up and down to center the beam Follow Steps 1 12 pg 6 4i The infrared beam should be chest high on the animal you wish to monitor FIG 7 Emitted infrared energy enters the Receiver Window on the side of the Receiver For optimal perfor mance the center of the Transmitter s beam is the strongest signal a
78. yx is more suitable for deployment in places where there are more people and disturbance or theft become important issues It can record video and takes up to 3 images per event like the Reconyx see PowerPoint presentation for details Camouflaged and non camouflaged Bushnell camera traps ae Both Reconyx and Bushnell operate silently the only indication that a photograph is being taken is a low reddish glow from the LEDs at night Battery life in the Reconyx HC500 varies according to battery type it is rated to give 40 000 50 000 images on an Energizer Ultimate Lithium battery and 20 000 30 000 photos using 1 5v AA Alkaline or AA Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride NiMH 1 2v 2600 MaH batteries at temperatures above 21 C and with equal numbers of day and night images Battery performance is affected by camera settings animal activity make of battery and ambient temperatures 4 3 Duration of Camera Trap Surveys As noted earlier given the Arabian leopard s rarity apparently large home ranges and elusive behavior it is recommended that camera traps be operational and in place for long enough to obtain 2 3 repeat visitations by resident animals Spalton et al 2006 found that leopard visits to his eight permanent camera traps occurred on average every 29 days range 19 43 Thus the survey should operate over a period of at least 84 100 days or 12 14 consecutive weeks 4 4 Selection of Camera Trap Sites Box 3 suggests the k

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