Benefit of camera trapping for surveying the critically endangered Bawean deer Axis kuhlii (Temminck, 1836)

Abstract

Despite being one of the rarest deer in the world, the critically endangered Bawean deer Axis kuhlii has received little conservation attention. Fauna monitoring is usually limited by lack of resource; therefore, the choice of a relevant methodology is fundamental to maximize the cost–benefit ratio. We compared the performance and cost of three direct and indirect methods to survey Bawean deer in protected areas of Bawean Island. Camera trapping provided a high number of records of Bawean deer (118 for 5500 camera days) and ascertained identifications of several other species. The number of photographs increased with the dry season. Transect sampling was time-consuming in the field for a poor result (two records for 19.200 h). Faecal pellet group count was more successful (80 pellet groups for 9.600 h of fieldwork). Camera traps are expensive to buy, but they lighten the field work and provide much data for further analyses.