Safari is a Swahili word that means an expedition to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat, especially in East Africa. In the past this meant a long, expensive and sometimes dangerous expedition as researchers journeyed far from home to investigate wildlife. People like Dian Fossey (research into Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas) and Jane Goodall (research into Tanzania’s Chimpanzees) have spent the major part of their adult lives living in difficult circumstances with Fossey paying the ultimate price when she was murdered by poachers.
Today, with the help of the Internet, you can carry out original research into the behaviour of wild animals without leaving the safety or the comfort of your own home. Cameras placed in nature reserves allow the armchair scientist to go on Safari and still be home in time for dinner.
| Time: 5 weeks Level: 9-10 Key Learning Areas: Science, Humanities Skills required: Low level IT skills |
Your task is to investigate the behaviour of animals in the wild using webcams such as Africam. You should decide on a particular area to study such as the number of animals appearing, the time of day or night they appear, the species, what they do once on camera, etc.
WARNING
These webcams show wild animals in their natural habitat.
Behaviours can include hunting, killing and eating.
Some students may find these images distressing.
Webcams
Many zoos and nature reserves have set up webcams so that the public can monitor the animals at any time. Don’t forget, many webcams include audio so turn your volume up.
- Africam
One of the best wildlife webcams. Located in the Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, several cameras have been placed at strategic locations at different sites. The cameras operate night and day and allow a glimpse into the lives of a wide range of animals as they come down to the water holes and river to drink. - Mpala Research Centre
Located in Kenya, these cameras focus on the river and those animals that live in, on and near it. The site includes a field guide to help you identify the species of animals that you might catch on screen. - Explore.org
Watch brown bear catching salmon or bison roaming across the plain, all live and all via remote cameras.
Research Question ideas
Coming up with a good and interesting research question to investigate is key to making this a suitable challenge. Here are some ideas you might like to consider.
- Who gets along with who?
Are there particular species that often use a waterhole at the same time and seem to either get along with each other or simply ignore each other? Are there species which always seem to be present on their own, perhaps frightening other animals away? If you can identify some of these animals, why might they be interacting with other species the way they do? - Time of day or night.
Are there particular times of the day or night that are more popular when it comes to appearing on camera? If there are, is this animal specific and why might these times be more popular? - Keeping a lookout.
If a group of animals of the same species appear together, do some appear to have a lookout role, watching for possible dangers? Where are they in relation to the rest of the group? What dangers might they be on the lookout for? - Sounds and more sounds.
Some of the webcams include audio and you can hear the sounds of the wind, rain and animals. Can you identify some of the sounds? Do some noise makers feature at particular times of the day?
