We have a continued partnership with the Belize Audubon Society and other grassroots conservation and community groups, and have been actively supporting conservation in Belize for many years. Here is an article we wanted to share about some interesting research that the Belize Audubon Society is doing in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Close encounters with camera trap
Dr. Bart Harmsen, through Panthera and UB/ERI has been conducting research using camera traps in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. We wanted to share some interesting observations:
1) On August 13th and 16th, 2013 from a camera placed in the Mexican Branch area:
Between 8:28 pm (August 13th) and 3:22am (August 15th) several photos capture three curious pumas playing, about an hour and a half after they leave, a male jaguar passes by. (This is an interesting occurrence as both mammals are large cats.) Less than fifteen minutes later, at 5:06am, one of the curious pumas passes by looking alert and cautious. In the evening of August 16th, at 6:48pm the three curious pumas return to play.
2) A camera trap placed near 13 ½ kilometres on the Victoria Peak Trail captured a pregnant jaguar making her way toward a stream.
Clearly the Wildlife Sanctuary continues to serve its main purpose, protecting the wildlife population that make the area their home. Stay tuned for more feline tales from Cockscomb