• Wildlife Insights (WI), is a new technological platform based on artificial intelligence that serves to quickly and efficiently classify wildlife photo-captures obtained through camera traps.
• On March 24, WWF Peru held a training workshop for gamekeepers and specialists from the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary.

Have you heard of camera traps? They are instruments for monitoring biodiversity in a non-invasive and high popular way because they capture photographs and videos of animals in their natural habitats. In addition, they are easy to configure and reflect a wide diversity of species, mainly birds and terrestrial mammals. However, the information obtained requires large amounts of time and effort to process and analyze.

In order to solve this problem, Wildlife Insights (WI) emerged a new cloud-based technology platform that uses artificial intelligence to identify wildlife from camera trap images. This tool was developed by Conservation International in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Google, and other partners, to manage the main obstacles that limit the use of camera trap data. Currently, within the framework of the project "Strengthening the capacity  of the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes’s governments and communities (PSA)", financed by the World Bank, the aforementioned partners seek to scale the platform use for the effective management of protected areas of Amazonian communities, working through pilot sites in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru. 

“Through artificial intelligence, this tool facilitates the task of identifying species, which saves a lot of time by tagging thousands of images in a matter of minutes. In addition, it promotes collaboration and allows other users, just by creating an account, to participate in the identification of images and explore others from all over the world” mentioned Juriko Rupay, WWF-Peru Wildlife Assistant. 

In summary, this tool allows evaluation of the results of the different conditions of biodiversity conservation and the impact of different scenarios in order to improve the planning and development of actions around it. 

Collaborative work with the National Sanctuary of Tabaconas Namballe

The National Sanctuary of Tabaconas Namballe locates in the province of San Ignacio, Cajamarca. It has 32,125 hectares, and emblematic species such as the Andean bear and the mountain tapir coexist. Conservation is key to maintaining the montane forest and paramo, and both of them are key for climate regulation and provision of ecosystem services, as well as wildlife, landscape, diversity conservation. 

To ensure the permanence of these and other species, the Sanctuary and WWF Peru have been working together since 2014. In 2021, they started collaborative work through the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes (PSA) project, developing several workshops with National Service of Protected Areas by the State’s officials and specialists. These workshops have been held with the aim of identifying conservation questions that need to be answered by analyzing the information resulting from the camera trap data, within the framework of the management of protected natural areas.

“Image processing with statistical programs requires complex analysis. However, through the strengthening of capacities in the processing and analysis of camera trap images, the aim is to optimize the biodiversity data management in the Sanctuary. This contributes in a practical and simple way to decision making”, concluded Carolina Guevara Molina, Sanctuary’s Head.  

On March 24, the face-to-face workshop "Use of the Wildlife Insights platform for processing and analysing camera trap data in the Tabaconas-Namballe National Sanctuary" was held in the province of San Ignacio, Cajamarca, given by specialists from WWF Peru. It was attended by eight gamekeepers, one specialist, and the head of this protected natural area.

“Through this joint initiative with Sernanp, as part of a multi-year commitment to monitoring the Andean bear and mountain tapir, we seek to promote the use of practical tools and emerging technology to continue reinforcing the strengthening of capabilities. The objective of progressively allowing the self-sufficiency and sustainability of area managers in order to address their information ” commented Fabiola La Rosa, WWF-Peru Wildlife Officer.  

© Fabiola La Rosa / WWF-Perú