A trail camera hotspot for large carnivores in Croatia

How do you find a trail camera hotspot that's a hive of activity?

There are always clues you can look for in your surroundings to help you decide on choosing a great spot for a camera - along with some patience and a little luck! This camera trap footage from Bioterra in Croatia was all filmed in one location and there’s only one species of locally present large carnivore missing*.

To be able to produce a highlights video like this all from one trail camera doesn’t happen regularly, but there’s a lot we can learn…

Aiming the camera at wildlife tracks

Forests can be dotted with wildlife tracks that turn into highways for lots of different species. Camera trap projects will often seek out these tracks and aim cameras at them to boost the chances of seeing the species of interest. This camera location is cleverly aimed at two popular routes for local wildlife.

Using wildlife tracks to aim camera trap - Bioterra, Croatia

Scratch and sniff

This camera setup does not use any bait, but conveniently, the wildlife has created its own attractant: the scratching post used by bears and boars is also a scent marking location for cat species.

Lynx detects scent - Bioterra, Croatia

Local knowledge

Experience and knowledge of a local area (and of course, permissions,) will fast track success with finding a hotspot for a camera. This camera location was chosen by a local wildlife ranger with a great knowledge of the terrain.

Setting up a trail camera in rock - Bioterra, Croatia

Patience and timing

The brilliant footage in this compilation didn't happen overnight. The camera was in place for over 6 months from Spring through Autumn 2020, which is a more active time for Croatia’s wildlife in comparison to the cold winters.

Practice

There is of course a degree of luck involved with using camera traps, what may seem like a great location going by the field signs still might not produce the goods! Nonetheless, it’s important to give it a go, as that’s a great way to figure out what works best in the habitat you’re in or for the species you’re seeking.

*A golden jackal would have given us all four large carnivores present in the area alongside the brown bear, grey wolf and Eurasian lynx.

Learn more about Bioterra and their wildlife conservation research focussing on wolves, bears and lynx in Croatia over on our project pages.

The trail camera used in this video was a Browning Recon Force Advantage for its great video quality and long battery life.

Article by Ed Snell