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USGS2007

Camera-trap study of ocelot and other secretive mammals in the northern Pantanal

Reliable information on abundance of the ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) is scarce. We conducted the first camera-trap study in the northern part of the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, one of the wildlife hotspots of South America. Using capture-recapture analysis, we estimated a density of 0.112 independent individuals per km 2 (SE 0.069). We list other mammals recorded with camera traps and show that camera-trap placement on roads or on trails has striking effects on camera-trapping rates.

northern Pantanal↗

USGS2003

Estimation of ocelot density in the pantanal using capture-recapture analysis of camera-trapping data

Neotropical felids such as the ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ) are secretive, and it is difficult to estimate their populations using conventional methods such as radiotelemetry or sign surveys. We show that recognition of individual ocelots from camera-trapping photographs is possible, and we use camera-trapping results combined with closed population capture-recapture models to estimate density of ocelots in the Brazilian Pantanal. We estimated the area from which animals were camera trapped at 17.71 km 2 . A model with constant capture probability yielded an estimate of 10 independent ocelots in our study area, which translates to a density of 2.82 independent individuals for every 5 km 2 ( SE 1.00).

Journal of Mammalogy↗