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| Neighbor Richard, Abhi Mandela and Rod Jackson at work in the garage |
Rod Jackson, CEO of the Snow Leopard Conservancy and Abhi Mandela, a firmware engineer from Silicon Valley dropped by last weekend to use the shop and talk camera traps.
Abhi's fascination with remote camera technology was nurtured as a project assistant to Dr. Andre Pittet at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore.Now he is helping Rod design an "electronic scarecrow" for snow leopard conservation.
Livestock -- from goats to yaks -- are easy prey for snow leopards throughout their range.
One leopard can slay a herd of goats in a single night, even when they are corralled right next to the shepherd's hut.
Biologists call such wanton predation "surplus killing".
It has survival value in the remotest parts of Asia where there are no people.
But killing livestock belonging to montane pastoralists is the easiest way for a snow leopard to earn a death sentence.
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| An IISC camera trap (left) and a PIR activated sound deterrent with a solar charger. |
The answer is that alpine herders can't afford to roof their drystone-walled corrals.
They live in a subsistence economy with an annual income of less than $400-$600.
So Jackson and his supporters are developing non-ethal deterrents.
Hopefully they will work as well but will be a lot less expensive than building a predator proof livestock pen.
We spent last Saturday laying out the work and drilling holes for switches and cables, and my good neighbor Richard, who can build practically anything offered his usual sage advice.
If you want to test the electronic scarecrow on livestock predation just a short distance from Silicon Valley, let me know.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy, I'll inform Rod.
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, thanks for the suggestion. We are planning to have the units completed by mid- end of December. We'll get in touch once ready.
ReplyDeleteSure hope this works but I wonder if the Leopard will eventually become accustomed to it?
ReplyDeleteThey're just going to have to test it and find out. They'll need a cam monitoring the site to see exactly what the cat does before and after. BTW, in Yosemite they harass the bears that hang around the camp ground, and even pop them with rubber bullets.The problem is that the campgrounds are loaded with food which still attracts the bears, even though they can't get at it.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of your workshop, I could sure have fun in there. How are your GoPro traps coming on?
ReplyDeleteI spotted one on the desk.
The GoPro is a great little camera, but the build isn't yet perfected. I'll update you in an email.
ReplyDelete