Active members
Active discussions
Comments
Resources
Camera traps have been a key part of the conservation toolkit for decades. Remotely triggered video or still cameras allow researchers and managers to monitor cryptic species, survey populations, and support enforcement responses by documenting illegal activities. Increasingly, machine learning is being implemented to automate the processing of data generated by camera traps.
A recent study published showed that, despite being well-established and widely used tools in conservation, progress in the development of camera traps has plateaued since the emergence of the modern model in the mid-2000s, leaving users struggling with many of the same issues they faced a decade ago. That manufacturer ratings have not improved over time, despite technological advancements, demonstrates the need for a new generation of innovative conservation camera traps. Join this group and explore existing efforts, established needs, and what next-generation camera traps might look like - including the integration of AI for data processing through initiatives like Wildlife Insights and Wild Me.
Group Highlights:
Our past Tech Tutors seasons featured multiple episodes for experienced and new camera trappers. How Do I Repair My Camera Traps? featured WILDLABS members Laure Joanny, Alistair Stewart, and Rob Appleby and featured many troubleshooting and DIY resources for common issues.
For camera trap users looking to incorporate machine learning into the data analysis process, Sara Beery's How do I get started using machine learning for my camera traps? is an incredible resource discussing the user-friendly tool MegaDetector.
And for those who are new to camera trapping, Marcella Kelly's How do I choose the right camera trap(s) based on interests, goals, and species? will help you make important decisions based on factors like species, environment, power, durability, and more.
Finally, for an in-depth conversation on camera trap hardware and software, check out the Camera Traps Virtual Meetup featuring Sara Beery, Roland Kays, and Sam Seccombe.
And while you're here, be sure to stop by the camera trap community's collaborative troubleshooting data bank, where we're compiling common problems with the goal of creating a consistent place to exchange tips and tricks!
Header photo: ACEAA-Conservacion Amazonica
Zambian ecologist working to provide data for evidence-based conservation planning and linking rural communities to benefits from wildlife
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 1 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 12 Groups
Aarhus University
Biologist and Research Technician
- 0 Resources
- 44 Discussions
- 6 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 6 Groups
A marine research intern and science communicator with experience in photography, filmmaking, and collaborating on multi-disciplinary and community-centered marine research focusing on: fisheries management, seagrass ecosystems, and ocean literacy
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
Purdue University
- 0 Resources
- 16 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Allen Institute for AI
Communications for EarthRanger and Skylight
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 9 Groups
Ecologist with a passion for wildlife conservation and conservation technology with foundational training in BSc and MSc Rangeland Management (Ecology option).
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Partner in Conservation at WWF
- 0 Resources
- 15 Discussions
- 6 Groups
I am an AI/Cloud evangelist with a passion for nature
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 6 Groups
Check out this round-up of three of the latest conservation tech studies and news. See more conservation tech news by subscribing to our bi-monthly digest.
24 March 2022
Community Announcement
Are you an early career Kenyan conservationist looking to explore emerging conservation technologies while networking with a strong cohort of other female leaders? Apply now for our 6-month Women in Conservation Tech...
08 March 2022
We're proud to introduce the first WILDLABS On the Edge Fellows for 2022, Loretta Schindlerova and Meredith Palmer! Working alongside expert Edge Impulse mentors, these two fellows will use embedded machine learning to...
10 February 2022
This article argues for a conservation method that integrates monitoring technology and community knowledge. Focusing on pangolins, the most trafficked animals globally, the study combines camera trap data from the...
20 December 2021
Camera trap wildlife surveys can generate vast amounts of imagery. A key problem in the wildlife ecology field is that vast amounts of time is spent reviewing this imagery to identify the species detected. Valuable...
20 December 2021
This study breaks ground in outlining a methodology for a system of low-cost, long-term camera traps (Dispersed Environment Acquatic Cameras) that can be deployed over large spatial scales in remote marine environments...
30 November 2021
In Ellie Warren's interview with Sara Beery as part of the Technical Difficulties Editorial Series, they discussed how the hype surrounding machine learning impacts our perceptions of failure, and how conservationists...
23 November 2021
CAIMAN is a product from the Sensing Clues Foundation that automatically classifies animals on images from camera traps. It aims to be available by the end of 2021, contact the Sensing Clues team for more details. This...
18 November 2021
In her case study from our Technical Difficulties Editorial Series, Juliana Masseloux discusses her challenges in working with camera traps to study elusive and rare animals like the pangolin, and shares her best advice...
11 November 2021
Black Rock Forest (BRF) are recruiting a seasonal Wildlife Connectivity Technician. Visit their website for further details and how to apply. Hurry, applications close soon!
03 November 2021
In their three-part interview from our new series Technical Difficulties, Colby Loucks and Eric Becker share the failures they've encountered and learned from throughout six years of working on the WWF-US Wildlife Crime...
13 October 2021
In Alina Peter's and Kristen Snyder's contribution to the Technical Difficulties Editorial Series, you'll receive a practical checklist of factors and questions to consider at various stages of your conservation...
13 October 2021
August 2022
Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hello everyone,I am looking for insight on the feasibility of identifying seabirds from photos taken at sea (such as these... |
|
AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 2 days 11 hours ago | |
Hi! Not quite sure where this question could otherwise fit. I am trying to look for off the shelf video systems to use for interval base video recording of animals (for... |
|
Camera Traps | 3 weeks 3 days ago | |
Hello camera trap gurus, I am searching for recommendations for a cheap (<90USD), rugged, and durable time-lapse camera for studying glacial melt. I've already been... |
|
Camera Traps | 1 month 1 week ago | |
Many thanks, "mactadpole" for the promising remarks concerning the Browning Dark Ops Pro XD dual-lens BTC-6PXD: "...we are extremely pleased with the BTC-6PXD.... |
+34
|
Camera Traps | 1 month 2 weeks ago | |
Find out how Cape Leopard Trust is using WildID to process their #cameratrap images (230 533 images in their latest annual Overberg survey), and do automatic detection and species... |
|
Camera Traps | 1 month 3 weeks ago | |
In China, a tiger project does, Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park. 30000+ camera traps, real-time, 4G, 700M, TD-LTE. http://www.mammal.cn/EN/10.16829/j.slxb... |
|
Camera Traps | 1 month 3 weeks ago | |
These are great, thank you! |
|
Camera Traps | 1 month 4 weeks ago | |
Thanks @PaulG and @TomRS I've now ordered some of the same model units, so shall hopefully get to test em out soon! Cheers, Rob |
|
Camera Traps | 2 months 1 week ago | |
For the more computationally-inclined, the Project Zamba software can also be used as a python package and the project codebase is fully available on GitHub. |
+8
|
Camera Traps | 3 months ago | |
Thanks Colin. I discovered when I was making the order with the supplier of the magnets (Frenergy) that they also have the ferrous sheet. |
+11
|
Camera Traps | 4 months 1 week ago | |
Ok, understand. Note, the bluetooth feature is very short range, just to configure the camera from your phone when standing nearby. Wifi will give you some longer range and... |
|
Camera Traps | 4 months 1 week ago | |
Vasudev I have had no issues using ubiquiti device and pushing internet out to 5 miles line of site, what I am curious what are you using for you camera on the other end, I... |
+11
|
Camera Traps | 5 months 2 weeks ago |
Can deep learning identify seabirds? (species, within-species, individual)
25th May 2022 at 08:24pm
CV4Ecology Summer School
3rd May 2022 at 06:13pm
Interval based video for behavior recording
3rd May 2022 at 09:46am
Time-lapse camera trap recomendations
19th April 2022 at 10:42am
Case Study: Cape Leopard Trust uses WildID to process camera trap image data
6th April 2022 at 11:32am
setting up a network of cameras connected to a server via WIFI
3rd April 2022 at 07:19am
News: The Latest in Conservation Tech (March 24)

24th March 2022 at 12:00am
Advice Needed: Camera Trap Occupancy Modeling for Small Data Set
16th March 2022 at 07:33pm
25th March 2022 at 05:02pm
I'll take a look into these options, thank you for the advice!
26th March 2022 at 10:59am
Couple other papers looking at predator-prey interactions with camera trap data & multi-species occupancy models (though you may/probably know about some of them already!) -
Van der Weyde, L. K., Mbisana, C., & Klein, R. (2018). Multi-species occupancy modelling of a carnivore guild in wildlife management areas in the Kalahari. Biological Conservation, 220, 21-28. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320717316464.
Murphy, A., Kelly, M. J., Karpanty, S. M., Andrianjakarivelo, V., & Farris, Z. J. (2019). Using camera traps to investigate spatial co‐occurrence between exotic predators and native prey species: a case study from northeastern Madagascar. Journal of Zoology, 307(4), 264-273. https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jzo.12645.
Kleiven, E. F., Barraquand, F., Gimenez, O., Henden, J. A., Ims, R. A., Soininen, E. M., & Yoccoz, N. G. (2021). A dynamic occupancy model for interacting species with two spatial scales. bioRxiv, 2020-12. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.423067v2.abstract.
28th March 2022 at 06:47pm
These are great, thank you!
Apply now: Women in Conservation Technology Programme, Kenya
8th March 2022 at 12:00am
Experience with Microwave Motion Sensors!
23rd February 2022 at 10:22am
16th March 2022 at 03:07pm
@TomRS @greghall and @htarold my initial (and brief) tests with the microwave sensor (same as this one: https://wiki.dfrobot.com/MicroWave_Sensor_SKU__SEN0192) I have suggest it's really sensitive to movement at fairly close range (~2m or less). Whilst this is impressive (like, it can detect my finger moving a few mm @ ~1-2m), it suggests that in order to avoid a lot of false positives/blank images, a fairly high tolerance or threshold would have to be set in the code. This will take a bit of trial and error to get right I reckon. Even though it has an in-buit potentiometer to toggle 'sensitivity' (equates to distance), even at the lowest setting, which is what I have it at, it's still really sensitive out at several metres. It definitely does appear to have an ability to tell the difference between a 'one off' or superficial movement, and more consistent movement that might be expected when an animal moves through an area. Maybe a combo PIR (interrupt) and microwave sensor (double checks after wakeup) could be a goer...although that could be a bit slow...Anyway, thought I'd share...
20th March 2022 at 05:20pm
20th March 2022 at 06:05pm
Thanks @PaulG and @TomRS I've now ordered some of the same model units, so shall hopefully get to test em out soon!
Cheers,
Rob
Introducing the WILDLABS On the Edge Fellows

10th February 2022 at 12:00am
Identification of Wildlife in Camera Trap Images

20th December 2021 at 12:00am
Camera traps and community knowledge in Eastern India

20th December 2021 at 12:00am
Wifi trail camera
3rd December 2021 at 08:47pm
16th January 2022 at 11:41pm
This seems like an eminently sensible thing to try. The main issue I've seen with most wifi cameras is that their antennas are omnidirectional - i.e. they send in every (horizontal) direction, because they don't know where the other wifi endpoint is. That means their signal doesn't go very far, but it's easy to connect. The tplink (and ubiquiti) long range devices have very directional antennas, so their signal is very focussed in that direction, which effectively means it remains quite strong for some distance. They also have to listen for the (more-interesting) return signal though from the wifi camera, and that could cause you grief. However, the highly-directional antenna can pick up fainter signals, from the direction they are pointing at, so it may be ok.
Getting wifi (or any radio signal) over any distance depends a lot on circumstances (distances, terrain, vegetation, weather, interference, ...) so I can't generalise to say this would/wouldn't work. You'd have to try it and see (or get into wifi signal strength measurements and calculations, which you can do with some apps). Some cameras also have removable antennas, so you could replace an omnidirectional (stick) antenna with something much more directional. Or, set up a wifi bridge, with e.g. a ubiquiti point-to-point link, with one end is close to your wifi camera (to pick up its weaker signal) and the other end at the house.
There are plenty of wifi wildlife cameras on ebay, which I understood use their own wifi hotspot to learn how to connect to a broader wifi network - same as the reolink, etc. when you first set them up. Lacking a broader wifi network they might offer their own as a fallback, so you can download while walking by. But I've not tried them, as they are quite expensive, and I have little faith their wifi signal would reach far enough (as per above) for our needs. I'm trying to build my own wildlife cameras now, using esp32cam modules and an external wifi antenna, just waiting on a few more parts :-)
17th January 2022 at 01:23am
Markusb very true but those camera are not truly wifi, they are a wifi /Bluetooth camera , meaning the create there own wifi network to down load the pics you have to connect to that network.
Now in saying that I have not experimented in writing a code using a programming language to be able to turn on and off wifi or Bluetooth and then turn it back off and tell the code to be able to do this ever two hours or so.
But using a small form factor pc that is connect to a ubiquiti or tplink long range wifi device this is possible to a Bluetooth / wifi trail camera
17th January 2022 at 02:27am
Ok, understand. Note, the bluetooth feature is very short range, just to configure the camera from your phone when standing nearby. Wifi will give you some longer range and greater bandwidth for image/video downloads. If it is only offering its own wifi network then that is sad, but unsurprising (they try to be very simple/cheap). Doesn't change my point though about the signal strength - if you are trying to get a really long distance (which is "over 100m" on most wifi cameras) then you will need to add something in between. A dedicated NUC/RPi/small-PC would be one option - but your reolink already has a simple PC built in, that offers the remote control and download features and storage to an SD card, etc. You can write your code to talk to that, from your home, using the reolink API/CGI (https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/900000625763-What-is-CGI-API). The small PC might still need to handle the "long-distance" wifi link if appropriate for your needs, in which case a ubiquiti/tplink wifi bridge (and a PC at home) might be more cost-effective? That can basically extend the camera's wifi back to your home.
This might need some whiteboarding and actual site-information to optimise :-)
Low-cost underwater camera trapping and deep learning

30th November 2021 at 12:00am
4th April 2022 at 06:11am
In China, a tiger project does, Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park. 30000+ camera traps, real-time, 4G, 700M, TD-LTE.
http://www.mammal.cn/EN/10.16829/j.slxb.150333