Eyes on the ground: Update from our wildlife monitoring program in Nakai – Nam Theun National Park

Earlier this year -in collaboration with the national park authority- Association Anoulak started the implementation of the systematic camera-trap surveys program in the three designated Biodiversity Priority Zones (BPZs) of Nakai – Nam Theun National Park (NNT NP) (totaling an area of 700 km2) as part of the Biodiversity Research & Monitoring Strategy for the national park.

Association Anoulak advises, supervises and oversees the Biodiversity Research & Monitoring Strategy including the systematic camera-trap surveys program to monitor abundance of indicator species’ populations and facilitate an assessment of whether some wildlife populations are increasing, decreasing or remaining stable as a result of management interventions (e.g. law enforcement; community sustainable livelihood for conservation; outreach). A first baseline survey was conducted in 2018-2019, which we replicated this year 2020 to provide an indication of trends in wildlife population abundance, across time and space.

The survey design for the camera-trapping implemented in NNT NP follows the rationale and protocols developed by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), one of our partners in this program.

During the period of January to March 2020, a total of 134 stations (i.e. 268 cameras: two cameras are set up at each station) were set up in the three BPZs. Cameras were then left in the field for at least two months and were retrieved from all three zones during the period of May to July 2020.

Photographs are being processed, including species identification and database management. In the coming months, Association Anoulak will be working on data analysis, which will include a visit to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research headquarter in Berlin, Germany in September 2020. We will prepare a complete report and work on publications in peer-reviewed journals with our partners.

In the meantime, we share with you a video featuring our teams working in the field!

We also share with you a first selections of some wildlife photos obtained, below. Enjoy!

Asian Elephant Elephas maximus

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque Macaca leonina

Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis

Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta

Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula

Large Indian Civet Viverra zibetha

Spotted Linsang Prionodon pardicolor

Sambar Rusa unicolor

Wild Pig Sus scrofa

Male Large-antlered Muntjac Muntiacus vuquangensis

Female with young Large-antlered Muntjac Muntiacus vuquangensis

Roosevelts’-group Muntjac Muntiacus cf. rooseveltorum

Northern Red Muntjac Muntiacus vaginalis