Saharan Carnivores project

31/03/2010 08:25:04 Camera traps catch Saharan wild cats, striped hyena and sand cat
The Saharan Conservation Trust's 'Saharan Carnivores project' continues to shed new light on the amazingly diverse community of small canids and felids harboured by the Termit ecosystem of Niger. Since last August, Oxford University's Wild-CRU researcher, Seamus Maclennan, has been capturing and collaring fennec, Rüppell's and pale foxes to better understand their ecology so they can be properly conserved. Our team in the field have recorded the sand cat (pictured above), as well as the wild cat (right), seen here in the company of an alert Sudan bustard.

Striped hyena caught on camera trap. Credit SCF

The use of camera traps also plays a major role in re-cording these largely nocturnal creatures. And while the cheetah has so far escaped our lenses, we have at last ‘captured' some beautiful images of the extremely rare and wily striped hyena.

 

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This beautifully camouflaged sand cat flattens itself to avoid detection (Photo: Tim Wacher/SCF)