Wen Chujun has installed an infrared camera in a forest area on Wutong Mountain in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. In early April, as part of a biodiversity survey, he and his team from the Luohu bureau of the Ecology and Environment Bureau trekked into the woods to place four heat-sensitive cameras in various remote locations.
In September, the team retrieved and analyzed the footage from the cameras, leading to an exciting discovery: images of a wild Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). This sighting is particularly significant as it represents the first documentation of this rare species in Shenzhen’s Luohu district in over three decades.
Huang Qin, a technical adviser for the survey team, expressed their delight, stating, “It was a pleasant surprise for us. It’s evidence of the effectiveness of our environmental conservation efforts in the area.”
This discovery not only highlights the success of conservation initiatives but also underlines the importance of continued ecological monitoring. By utilizing technology in ecological studies, teams are able to gain valuable insights into wildlife populations, fostering hope for the preservation of endangered species. The finding serves as a reminder of the natural wonders still present in urban areas and the potential for future preservation efforts to yield similarly positive outcomes.