Viral photo of tortilla-stealing squirrel puts spotlight on LA's urban wildlife
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area shared a delightful camera trap photo of a squirrel making off with a tortilla, captured in 2019 by one of 37 Urban Wildlife Information Network cameras located within two kilometers of the Los Angeles River. The photo was shared on National Public Lands Day as a lighthearted way to recruit citizen scientists to help with a very real research need.
The UWIN cameras generate far more images than researchers can sort through alone, so volunteers are being asked to log onto Zooniverse to identify and tag wildlife caught on camera. No scientific background is required, just internet access and an eye for detail. The data collected feeds directly into research shared across the country to help scientists better understand how people and wildlife can coexist in urban areas.
