First Arboreal Camera Trap in Odzala-Kokoua National Park Records Three Rarely-Sighted Species

This fascinating footage was taken by the first arboreal camera trap in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of Congo. Situated in a tropical-forest tree (Alstonia boonei) at about 20 meters high, the camera trap was installed late last year during the Great Southern Bioblitz 2023 to monitor species at tree level and catch footage that may go unnoticed by camera traps on the ground.

Not only did the camera catch cinematic glimpses of curious monkeys, it also recorded the first live footage of three rarely sighted species – the Gabon squirrel galago, Nagtglas’ African dormouse and the African palm civet, now listed on the park’s iNaturalist page.

The lush rainforest of Odzala-Kokoua National Park is a biodiversity hotspot. Managed in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Congo, it sustains some 4,400 species of plants, over 450 species of birds and almost 130 species of mammals – spread out over an expansive 13,700 km². Camera traps are only one of many complementary methods to monitor and understand this vast landscape and inform management decisions.

See for yourself what this single arboreal camera trap was able to record:

1 and 2: Putty-nosed monkey
3 and 4: Grey-cheeked mangabey
5: Great blue turaco
6: Congo pied hornbill
7: African palm civet
8: Gabon squirrel galago
9: Nagtglas’ African dormouse