Embers from the Campfire #4
Can you find the kitty?
Above is a picture from a camera trap project to monitor the fauna of the Rio Mora Refuge. The project is run by Shantini Ramakrishnan, program coordinator at Rio Mora.
In the left of the picture is the back of a wet bison, and in the picture is a camouflaged puma. Based on head shape, the puma in this picture is most likely a female because males have a rounder face due to larger masseter muscles.
It took Eagle Eye Dave Foreman about 20 seconds to see it. How long will it take you?
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Brian J. Miller received a PhD from the University of Wyoming in behavioral ecology and conservation of black-footed ferrets and was then awarded a Smithsonian Institution Fellowship at their Conservation and Research Center. Brian worked with the conservation of the endangered black-footed ferret for a decade, then lived in Mexico for five years beginning an ongoing research project on jaguars and pumas in the dry tropical forest of Jalisco, Mexico.
After seven years as a Coordinator of Conservation and Research at the Denver Zoological Foundation, Brian accepted a position to develop conservation and education programs at the Wind River Foundation. His main research interest concerns the role of highly interactive species (keystones) in regulating ecosystem processes, and how to improve protection for those species when designing reserves.
He has published 100 scientific articles, seven books, and has been on the board of five conservation organizations. He has helped start two protected areas, one of which is Rio Mora NWR. In 2009 he was given the Denver Zoo’s Annual Conservation Award. Brian is a member of the Rewilding Leadership Council.
It took my wife and I a good deal longer than 20 seconds to find that puma. Ultimately we zoomed in repeatedly on the image, and finally, there it was. Once we had it in view, we wondered how we could have missed it. Of course, we don’t see pumas face on just every day, or ever, for that matter. Great fun. Good challenge. Humbling.
The weak eyed Weazel is embarrassed that El Tigre, who is even older, so easily beat me at this game. Any hints?