camera trap research

Jun 18, 2025

Human development outside protected areas may harm biodiversity within

Designating areas as protected spaces for wildlife is a common strategy for preserving biodiversity, but heavy human development around those areas may largely counteract the benefit of those protections. This phenomenon is described in a new study using camera-trap data to evaluate the effectiveness of hundreds of protected areas across China. Co-author Roland Kays, research… 

Mar 28, 2025

Why scientists are worried about weasels

When monitoring the health of mammal populations, scientists often use camera traps to observe the animals in their habitats.  But weasels are so sneaky they’re rarely caught on camera – leaving scientists with questions about this population of predators. “We’re a little worried about the weasels,” says Roland Kays, a research professor at North Carolina… 

Jul 26, 2024

Climate is most important factor in where mammals choose to live, study finds

While human activity has had a massive effect on the natural world, a new study from North Carolina State University finds that climate is still the most influential factor in determining where mammals can thrive. The work sheds light on how climate change will affect wildlife populations. Roland Kays, lead author of a paper on… 

Mar 22, 2024

Camera traps help researchers explain animal behavior during global COVID-19 lockdowns

A new collaborative study using thousands of cameras around the world reveals how animal behavior changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study sheds light on how animal behavior was influenced by changes in human behavior during pandemic lockdowns. Led by the University of British Columbia, the study used data from over 5,000 camera traps… 

Mar 4, 2021

NC Citizen Science Study of Wildlife Captures 2.2M Images

A citizen science project led by NC State researchers captured 2.2 million images for wildlife research in North Carolina.