Using a wildlife camera responsibly

Most wildlife cameras have what is called a passive infrared sensor. This is a small detector that notices heat radiation. When something warm, such as an animal, moves through its detection zone, the camera triggers. “Passive” means the sensor sends nothing out itself; it only detects.

At night most wildlife cameras light the scene with infrared light. This light is barely or not at all visible to people, and many animals also perceive it not at all or only faintly. Night images are therefore usually black and white. During the day the camera takes normal colour pictures.

Because the camera works alone, there is no disturbance from a person being present. But that only holds as long as it hangs in a suitable place and is checked rarely. Every check visit leaves scent and disturbance behind. Researchers worldwide also use such cameras to record shy animals without having to catch or disturb them.

As soon as a camera can record people, data protection laws may apply – in the EU, for example, the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR for short. So point the camera so that no paths, roads, pavements or neighbouring properties are in view. Delete any images that show people anyway immediately. This entry is not legal advice: check the rules in your country.

Outside your own property you need the landowner's permission, ideally in writing. On top of that come hunting and conservation rules. In protected areas, setting up a camera is often only allowed with a permit. If in doubt, ask the responsible authority.

Do not lure animals with food. It changes their behaviour, can spread disease between animals that meet at the feeding spot, and is prohibited in many places. And do not put up a camera at breeding or birthing sites, where animals nest or have their young.

Location decides success. Good spots in your own garden are narrow points that animals pass anyway: a gap under the fence, an opening in the hedge, the edge of the compost heap or a water source. Often a surprising number of nocturnal visitors show up there.

For smaller animals the camera hangs at about knee height. Fasten it with a strap to a tree or post, not with nails or screws in other people's trees. If possible, do not point it towards the low morning or evening sun, otherwise sunlight can cause false triggers or the images get washed out.

Test the camera by walking through the detection zone yourself. That shows you whether triggering and framing are right. Delete the test images of yourself afterwards. Then change batteries and memory card only at longer intervals and note the date and species when you go through the pictures.

A wildlife camera is ideal for your own garden, for nature education with children and for long-term observation without disturbance. Above all it shows nocturnal animals you would otherwise never see. Some citizen science projects also accept images from volunteers – ask conservation organisations or authorities in your region.

It is not suitable for monitoring people, paths or neighbours. Nor does it belong at nests, dens or eyries of protected species without a permit. Outside your own property there are legal hurdles and the risk that the camera gets stolen.

Also bear in mind that a camera only covers a small area. It shows you what happens at exactly that spot, not in the whole garden. A sand tracking plot makes a good complement, showing who passed by without any technology at all.

In English, wildlife cameras are often called “camera traps”, and in German sometimes “Fotofallen”. The word sounds like a trap, but the camera holds no animal and touches none. It only takes pictures. That is exactly why it is so popular in research: it provides data on shy species without any animal having to be caught.

The Leave No Trace principles call for not disturbing and not feeding wildlife. A well-placed camera without bait that is checked rarely fits that exactly.