Camera traps are photographic/video devices installed in the jungle which allows exceptional observations. The data generated by the project such as the number of jaguars detected, their sex, their areas of movement, the observation of strange or undocumented behaviors, the abundance or absence of prey or even the discovery of new species are shared with the environmental protection authorities, biologists and researchers.
For instance, thanks to one of our camera trap, the unusual presence of a coyote in the Osa Peninsula has been documented; topic of an article published in 2020 in the Revista Mexicana de Mastozoología. The project data has also been used in the scientific effort of MAPCOBIO which was the first to list all the work and data collected through motion activated cameras since 1998 until 2015 in Costa Rica.
In 2018 the project was awarded with a certificate of recognition from the Costarican Environment and Energy Minister for all our work on the jaguars in the Osa Peninsula. Many other important upcoming articles are being revised and will be published soon!
The Golden Shadow project is built around tracking down Osa's last jaguars and the ambition to capture the greatest photograph of every single one of them. In order to show different faces of the Osa Peninsula, the artistic process was thought as different scenarios happening in the rainforest's various ecosystems. By transporting the spectator on the other side of these wild frames the aspiration is to reconnect them with nature.
The project focuses on 3 dimensions:
As finding a jaguar is not an easy task, figuring out how this invisible creature moves around and what it is searching for is essential. Beyond the field work and scientific knowledge it is intuition that is the key to this pursuit. Thinking like a jaguar may reveal his path. Once it is discovered, an autonomous photographic studios is installed in the heart of the jungle and activated when animals are passing by.
Capturing the right photograph then becomes a matter of perseverance, luck and time.
In nature, things rarely go as planned. While it is extremely difficult to photograph a jaguar, it is even harder to achieve the expected result. The steps to get there are complicated, risky, long and technical. Only a restless effort and great patience can make it happen:
Find an aesthetic frame frequently visited by jaguars:
This scouting phase generally takes several months and requires significant material and human resources in order to explore remote areas, select strategic locations and set up camera traps, hoping for a jaguar to pass by.
Ensure that there is no passage of poachers or illegal gold diggers:
These activities being illegal, criminals often destroy material in order to eliminate compromising footages. Therefore, an observation period is always respected in order to reduce the risks.
Set up the studio:
Once a spot has been chosen, the autonomous photographic studio is deployed. It consists of a very high definition camera placed in a waterproof case, connected to several flashes and motion sensors. It will be active 24 hours a day.
Photograph the jaguar in the right position, the right way, in the right place and at the right time:
This step is the longest and the most uncertain of all. Thousands of images, most of them unusable, are taken over time before one day, acheiving the final result.
Being able to differentiate one jaguar from another makes it possible to identify them as individuals, estimate their numbers, track their movements over time and monitor their health condition.
Several techniques can be used:
Spots recognition:
Comparison of the spots arrangements and shapes which are specific to the coat of each jaguar.
Life marks recognition:
Broken tail, cut ear, missing limb, punctured eye, scar, handicap, specific coloration, etc.
Genetic recognition:
Feces and hair collection in the field as well as blood or saliva analysis when an individual is captured.
Recognition by spots (called rosettes) is the most used since it can be put in application for individuals without life marks and does not require direct contact with the animal. Take the example of Shāhdosa, an adult male who has never been captured and has no particular life marks, whose tracking was possible thanks to the recognition of his spots. One of them, shaped like an "S", located on its right flank, is easily identifiable. It is important to specify that the patterns adorning the two sides of the coat are not symmetrical.
Over the years, from the Osa Peninsula to the Cordillera de Talamanca, several individuals have been spotted, identified and are monitored through our camera traps network. With more than 200 jaguar footages, the precious information gathered monthly is continuously enriching our database and shared with the environmental protection authorities as well as the scientific community.
Through photographing the most impressive wildcat of America, the goal is to create an emotional reaction that changes people's perception of how wilderness is linked to their environment. Just like primary forests as old as the world, the jaguar is an incarnation of scarcity, mystery, beauty and unpredictability making him their greatest ambassador.
As most people live disconnected from the wild, focused on their daily occupations, The Golden Shadow aims to establish a link between humans and nature with art as a front door. It is essential to reach as much people as possible, from local actors living yards away from the forest, to urban populations through social media, in order to motivate them to initiate significant and positive changes in the long run.
Along with raising awareness about conservation, Tico's Wild Studio is becoming a key actor regarding jaguars in Costa Rica, participating in scientific advancement by providing essential informations to numerous studies and articles.
The next step in our conservation effort is the creation of a natural reserve that will protect the main jaguar paths of the Osa Peninsula and its biodiversity. For more information visit www.lasoncas.com
Once the long-awaited photograph is taken, the ultimate goal is achieved. Every single one of them is a new chapter of this odyssey and is telling a part of the story, making The Golden Shadow an artistic tribute to jaguars and their natural habitat.
The frame, which all elements are brought from Costa Rica, is an integral part of the artwork. The wood is tinted black to symbolize the nothingness towards which the wild world is being swept away. The gold, represents the thread of life and hope that still exists, embodied by the jaguar.
This secret location sits on top of an inaccessible and forgotten mountain on the Osa Peninsula. It is covered by a jungle that belongs to an extremely rare ecosystem: the lowland cloud forest. Attracted by its pristine vegetation, its topography and its remoteness, several jaguars use this passage as a route through which they pass regularly. This is where its name comes from. Dense and impenetrable, the Jaguar Avenue never ceases to amaze and unveil its mysteries over time.
As if he knew he was expected, he finally appears, carried by the mist, under the first light of day. His scarred face shows the marks of his story. Serene, he walks straight towards his future. Shāhdosa has just frozen that moment for eternity, becoming, in a way, immortal.