Every year we review hundreds of thousands of photos as part of our Border Wildlife Study, and in addition to the invaluable data we receive about the presence/absence of species in certain areas, we’re often moved by the little moments captured on camera. We hope you enjoy these highlights from the year.
White-nosed coatis are a subtropical animal, typically associated with the tropical forests of Central America. However, they are adaptable creatures and seem to do well in the occasional snow we get in the Sky Island region.A white-tailed deer buck runs through a cattle tank refilled by monsoon rains after being dry for months. One of our restoration projects this year involved adding wildlife friendly fencing around ponds, including this one, and adding drinkers for cattle outside the fenced areas.A group of Mexican jays surround a gopher snake curled up in the center of the bottom part of the image. The group is most likely protecting a nest from a potential egg and nestling thief! Later photos show the birds leaving the snake after judging it not a threat.An American black bear pauses to sniff the air as it walks along a hillside in the Coronado National Memorial.A tender moment with a white-tailed deer mother and her young fawn.The U.S. Forest Service regularly manages controlled burns in the region to help reduce fuel loads, and several occurred where our cameras were in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains. This camera remained in place during and after the burn, and the coyote was the first animal to return.Looking south into Sonora, a pair of javelinas cross over a ridgeline at sunset within the Coronado National Memorial.Wind is almost constant in the San Rafael Valley, and this coyote keeps on moving through it. The camera is askew due to being bumped by cattle.Did this calf also knock over the camera in the coyote photo above? Cattle are curious animals and love to investigate and scratch on anything novel; our camera mounts are not spared from their antics!A group of female pronghorns crest a hill in the San Rafael State Natural Area. The pronghorn is always a favorite for our Wildlife Specialist Meagan Bethel, as they remind her of how unique this grassland area is.
