In the famous forest of Nghe An, any wild animal that accidentally passes through the "trap" is photographed.

Officials carry camera traps to install at Pu Huong Nature Reserve in Quy Hop District, Nghe An Province. These special traps will help capture rare wildlife species in the famous forest.

How camera traps work in the famous forest in Nghe An

Pu Huong Nature Reserve spans five mountainous districts in the west of Nghe An province. Pu Huong Nature Reserve covers an area of ​​nearly 46,500 hectares, of which more than 40,150 hectares are special-use forests. This famous forest is an important green corridor, connecting the environment, habitats and ecosystems, contributing to the conservation of the typical biodiversity of the forests of North Central and Western Nghe An. In 2007, Pu Huong Nature Reserve, together with Pu Hoat Nature Reserve and Pu Mat National Park, were recognized by UNESCO as world biosphere reserves.

Staff of the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board, Quy Hop District, Nghe An Province "march" to designated areas to set camera traps.

Over the years, the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board has applied camera trap technology to monitor and accurately assess biodiversity resources. Thanks to camera traps, many rare wildlife species have been discovered.

For the camera traps to work effectively, it requires great effort from the implementation team. The staff must climb mountains and wade through streams to reach suitable locations for the camera traps. The coordinates for installing the camera traps are carefully selected to maximize effectiveness.

To reach the camera trap locations, there are trips that last many days, in harsh weather conditions, the camera trap team must sleep deep in the forest to complete the job.

Pu Huong Nature Reserve is an important green corridor, connecting the environment, habitat and ecosystem, contributing to the conservation of the typical biodiversity of the forests of North Central and Western Nghe An.

When reaching the designated location, the staff will clear the bushes and undergrowth in a space of about 6 to 10 square meters in front of the tree trunk where the camera trap is placed to create a good field of view, avoiding the trap automatically capturing trees when the wind shakes them.

Under each tree trunk where the camera trap is placed, a layer of branches is arranged to prevent mud and soil from splashing up when it rains, which will affect the equipment and image quality during operation. After that, the staff will create a fixed position on a straight tree trunk, free of vines and termites, at a height of 20 to 60cm above the ground.

The device is mounted on the tree trunk after creating a location. The camera trap is set up vertically on the tree trunk, the camera eye is arranged perpendicular to the direction of sunrise and sunset so that the photos taken are not backlit.

The location of camera traps in Pu Huong Nature Reserve, Quy Hop district, Nghe An province was carefully selected to bring the highest efficiency.

After installation is complete, the staff will check before leaving the site to avoid detection by animals. After 2 to 3 months, the rangers will return to collect images.

The device works through a body temperature sensor. This is a useful tool to observe the living space and behavior of rare animals in nature; assess the level of biodiversity in difficult-to-access mountainous areas.

In addition to meticulously recording information about time, location, and environment at the camera trap location, the rangers also use the GPS positioning system to determine the coordinates of the device location for monitoring, tracking, and avoiding loss.

Camera traps will automatically capture images of wildlife if they detect movement.

Camera traps help detect many rare wildlife species

Pu Huong Nature Reserve has nearly 570 animal species, of which 69 are listed in the Vietnam Red Book, 51 are listed in the IUCN Red List 2020 and 36 are listed in the CITES Convention. This is a treasure trove of biodiversity, preserving the genetic resources of many rare and endemic species of animals and plants such as po mu, sa mu dau, cypress, golden orchid, gray langur, white-cheeked gibbon, striped pheasant, large-antlered muntjac, etc.

Close-up of a golden cash chicken, a rare wild bird listed in the Red Book, discovered at Pu Huong Nature Reserve in Quy Hop district, Nghe An province through a camera trap.

According to the leader of the Pu Huong Nature Reserve Management Board, the use of camera traps and automatic recording devices to record images and sounds of wild animals helps improve the quality of input information. The results from this method are very positive in the investigation and monitoring of biodiversity in the area. This is an effective modern investigation method, especially for species with small populations and rare species.

White pheasant, a wild bird and forest animal listed in the Red Book, was discovered in Pu Huong Nature Reserve (Quy Hop district, Nghe An province) through camera traps.

The results from the use of camera traps by the management board recorded the presence of many animal species, including rare species such as ungulates, yellow-billed fowl, white-billed pheasant, mountain tortoise, black-naped green flycatcher and red-faced monkey. Among them, white-billed pheasant and yellow-billed fowl are rare species that need to be preserved.

Source: https://danviet.vn/o-khu-rung-noi-tieng-nghe-an-he-con-dong-vat-hoang-da-nao-vo-tinh-di-qua-bay-la-duoc-chup-anh-20241231135028795.htm