Animal Planet :: Spy on the Wild :: Scientist Interviews

May 14, 2008

Scientist Interviews

We caught up with three of the scientists featured in "Spy on the Wild" for an insider's look at the latest in high-tech wildlife research. Hear their stories, see their photographs and learn about the amazing animals that they study.

TAGGING A TITAN

South Africa's Mossel Bay is a top surf spot, as well as a popular hangout for great white sharks. On any given day there are tons of great whites lurking just beyond the breaking waves. Scientists know very little about these giant predators, but shark expert Ryan Johnson is seeking to change that. Johnson and his team are using acoustic surveillance technology to monitor the sharks' long-term movements. An acoustic tag attached to the animal's back sends ultrasonic signals to special receivers at the bottom of the ocean, logging the shark's position in time. Over the long-term, scientists receive a clear picture of where the sharks are going, and why. It's no easy task attaching tags to great whites, but Johnson has it down to a science. Listen to his story.

CANDID CRITTER CAM

Barro Colorado, an isolated island in the middle of the Panama Canal, has been a hotbed of scientific scrutiny for over half a century. Scientists Jacalyn and Gregory Willis have the giant task of figuring out exactly which animals live there — but how do you count animals you never see? Enter the camera trap. Thirty-five of them to be exact, set up at key points across the island. These high-tech gadgets sit unattended, snapping photos of animals that pass by and trigger the camera's heat sensor. The Willises have collected nearly 5,000 photos from their camera traps, some of them of animals that haven't been seen on Barro Colorado Island in 70 years. We spoke with the Willises about camera traps, how they work, why they use them, the goals of their study and what they've discovered. Listen to their story.

Pictures: Courtesy of Heather Fener/WCS | Courtesy of Jacalyn and Gregory Willis |

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