Jaw-Dropping SurpriseAn African leopard in northern Kenya seems to be amazed by a camera trap in a recent picture. The big cat is one of several species spotted during a survey of the coastal Boni–Dodori forest, which lies between the Tana River and the Somali border. Recent security improvements allowed conservationists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS), Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), and National Museums of Kenya to set up the camera trap survey in the largely inaccessible region.The traps captured plentiful images of a rare antelope—the Aders' duiker—as well as shots of African wild dogs, elephants, and aardvarks, to name a few. The Boni-Dodori forest had previously yielded other surprises, including a potentially new species of elephant shrew announced in 2010.However, the wildlife-rich forest may quickly be lost as development and agriculture sprout along the Kenyan coast, according to ZSL.
Photograph courtesy ZSL

Pictures: Rare Antelope, Big Cats Caught by Camera Trap

Camera traps set up in a little studied Kenyan forest have revealed an extremely rare antelope, several big cats, an elephant, and more.

Published August 3, 2011