Following on from our visit to partners Bioterra in Croatia in November 2017, we’ve started to have some of the images back from the camera traps we took out there.
One camera, in particular, has been very fruitful – in the beautiful Velebit National Park. Within just two weeks of action, the camera had picked up two of the species its there to find.
Even better that the short clip also shows 4 wolves in total – a pack. This tree is clearly an important spot for them, and they spend some time scraping and marking it. The fact it is a colour, rather than night time clip, is another bonus!
There are only around 200 wolves in 50 packs in the whole of Croatia – so clips like this are a wonderful insight, and an important record for Bioterra and the National Park.
But it didn’t end there. An even rarer and incredibly elusive animal also found the lure of the tree too much…
A Eurasian lynx. There are thought to be only around 40-60 in the whole country, and their population is likely declining. To catch one on a camera trap is always a pleasure – and for Velebit National Park ranger Josip, who runs the cameras on behalf of the park, Bioterra and NatureSpy, they are his favourite animals to try and catch.
And finally, a little treat…
A wildcat. These are the rarest carnivores we have in the UK, but in Europe there numbers are healthier – although they still face the same threats from hybridisation as their Scottish cousins. That doesn’t mean they are a standard sighting for the camera traps we have in Croatia however – they are still elusive and stealthy, and to catch one so close during the mid-morning is fantastic.
The monitoring efforts that Bioterra undertake in Croatia, with Velebit National Park and Biokovo Nature Park are supported by camera traps provided by NatureSpy.
This support is only possible for one reason – individual people and large organisations choose to get their camera traps from the NatureSpy Shop. We’re proud to be a social enterprise and a shop with a difference – hopefully the above shows exactly what’s possible when you buy ethically, and #buysocial.
