Camera Trapping
Remote Camera Trapping using equipment as pictured below, has been used on numerous occasions and is currently used on an ongoing basis in order to survey areas that are otherwise difficult to get to.
The equipment
consists of a 35mm auto focus camera , infra-red transmitter and a receiver/data logger. The transmitter sends out an infra-red beam which is picked
up by the receiver. Once this beam is broken, the receiver records the date,
time and number of times the beam is broken and then sends a signal, via a
cable, to the camera which then takes a photo. The cameras are checked on a
regular basis and moved to various locations as required.
The following images have all been taken using camera traps at various localities throughout the Northern Emirates - both in the desert and in the mountains and wadis.
The photo on the left was taken at night in one of the wadis found in the Northern Emirates. It is of a Blanford's fox, Vulpes cana, part of an ongoing study into their distribution in the Emirates.
The caracal, Caracal caracal schmidtii, on the right was photographed using the same remote camera trap set-up as for Blanford's fox. The camera was again set up in one of the wadis found in the Northern Emirates. The caracal is becoming increasingly rare in the Emirates, in part due to hunting by local farmers that blame it for the death of their livestock.
This photograph of a Tahr, Hemitragus jayakari, was taken during the day, again in one of the wadis found in the Northern Emirates. The Tahr is very rarely seen and the numbers remaining and distribution of this animal are unknown. Many of the known Tahr are to be found in Oman. It's excellent camouflage makes it very difficult to see against a mountainous background, particularly when it is standing still.