Photo Monitoring Network Established on Russia's Southernmost Island

The press service of the Land of the Leopard National Park has announced that the Furuhelma Island of the Far Eastern Marine Biosphere Reserve has become the first island in Primorye to have a photo monitoring network established. The scientific interest was due to the registration of large mammals from the mainland that had not previously been seen on the island.

As early as 2022, an adult male wild boar was recorded on the island. It was he who gave the reason for installing the first three cameras here. Later, scientists discovered traces of the stay of other ungulates and an otter, as well as the remains of a flying squirrel. All these animals are not characteristic of the island fauna.

The distance from Furuhelma Island to the mainland is not less than 5.2 kilometers. To get to the island, potential animals need to overcome this distance by sea, so each case of recording a large mammal here is remarkable.

"Scientists from the Land of the Leopard have equipped two new photo monitoring points on the island in addition to the three that are already installed specifically for monitoring the wild boar. The final location of all cameras was optimized to expand the research area. Now the network of five points evenly covers the entire island with an area of more than 240 hectares and will allow obtaining new data about its inhabitants," the message says.

"The study of the island's fauna is necessary to understand and assess its impact on red-listed birds and their nesting. In particular, the island is home to the world's largest colony of black-tailed gulls, and it is the only place in Russia where the red-listed little spoonbill nests," the press service noted.