Title
Investigating the use of camera trapping to quantify illegal human activity in three protected areas of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh
Author(s)
Hossain, A.N.M.;Barlow, A.;Greenwood Barlow, C.;Lynam, A.J.;Savini, T.
Published
2015
Publisher
Cambodian Journal of Natural History
Abstract
Asian biodiversity is increasingly dependent on the existing network of protected areas. Three wildlife sanctuaries in the Bangladesh Sundarbans are examples of Asian protected areas where the detection of human disturbance is diffi cult due to inadequate numbers of patrol staff relative to the size of the mangrove forest that requires monitoring. The aim of this study was to use camera traps in the three sanctuaries to quantify: (1) the levels of diff erent types of illegal human activities; (2) their spatio-temporal variation; and (3) what proportion of camera trap photographs can be used to identify perpetrators. Every photograph of an illegal human activity (IHA) was based on the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012 and categorised by the types of equipment observed. Likewise, legal human activity (LHA) was categorised as patrolling or wildlife viewing, based on the type of boats or equipment visible. A total of 914 unique human activity events were recorded, of which 872 were IHA and 42 were LHA, during a total of 1,039 trap nights. The best model suggests that during the spring tide, IHA occured in 91% of camera-trapped locations in the West during the survey period, while IHA occured in 84% and 74% of locations in the South and East areas of the sanctuary respectively. Camera trapping in remote areas can potentially help protected area managers to increase rates of detection of IHA in their landscapes and so increase rates of arrests and prosecutions with proper evidence.

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PUB15539