Screening for sexual diversity in camera trap datasets for wildlife neuroscience studies

South Africa is a country with 11 official languages, and on average, its people can speak three languages. isiZulu and isiXhosa are among the most commonly spoken ones. The history of South Africa dates back 11,000 years to the time of modern hunter-gatherers, the San and Khoi people. Notably, South Africa stands as the only country that voluntarily dismantled its nuclear weapons program in the 1980s. Furthermore, it holds the distinction of being the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, achieving this milestone in 2006. However, South Africa also experienced a dark period of racial segregation, which began in the 1940s and endured for 46 years. This system of segregation allowed white people to dominate society, forcibly relocating black individuals to different towns like Soweto. Interracial marriages were prohibited, black people faced denial of land ownership in urban areas, and entry into white-only zones was strictly forbidden. The implementation of the Bantu Education Act enforced educational segregation, compelling black students to learn Afrikaans in schools. These injustices sparked the Soweto student uprisings and subsequent protests. Notably, iconic figures such as Mandela and Tutu made significant contributions to ending racial segregation, for which they received Nobel prizes. It is noteworthy that both Mandela and Tutu resided on Vilakazi Street in Soweto. Soweto gained further recognition as the filming location for the movie "District 9," which cleverly depicted racial segregation using extraterrestrial beings. South Africa is also home to natural wonders. Table Mountain, with its history dating back 260 million years, stands as one of the world's oldest mountains. Another notable feature is the Vredefort Dome, the largest meteorite impact crater globally, created around 2 billion years ago. This colossal impact resulted in a 300 km wide crater visible from outer space. Additionally, the Sterkfontein Caves in Johannesburg's Cradle of Humankind have revealed fossils of primitive humans dating back 4 million years. South Africa boasts a diverse range of wildlife, including approximately 10% of the world's bird species, such as penguins, ostriches, and eagles. As part of my doctoral research, exploring the sexual diversity of wildlife, I was at Kruger National Park. Utilizing camera traps, I aim to capture the behaviour of various wildlife animals, aiming to evaluate the feasibility and ethics of deploying non-invasive methods for measuring neural activity. This research journey has provided me with invaluable opportunities to collaborate with fellow researchers from around the globe, including Namibia, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Congo, Tanzania etc. We worked on designing observation protocols, setting up camera traps, and programming for data analysis. These encompass the study of ecological community diversity, animal activity patterns, and the probability of species occupying specific areas, all analyzed through programming. Additionally, we explored spatial capture-recapture techniques to estimate species density and employ artificial intelligence for animal detection, species classification, and individual recognition. These past weeks have presented me with a truly remarkable and transformative experience, especially considering the unique challenges faced in South Africa, which it ranks as the fourth highest country in the world for crime rates and experiences loadshedding, resulting in daily power outages lasting an average of six hours. Moreover, this journey has allowed me to embrace a newfound sense of camaraderie, as for the first time in my life, I have to spend the majority of my waking hours collaborating with a dedicated group of researchers for weeks. Together, we have delved into the intricacies of camera traps, in the field and in the class, shared meals, and embarked on outings. Kruger National Park is situated in the northeastern region of South Africa and boasts a size more than half that of Taiwan. Day and night, we venture into the vast savannah in search of wildlife. Within these expansive grounds reside South Africa's cherished Big Five, including lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, and rhinoceroses. It is essential to note that Kruger National Park holds historical significance as well, previously inhabited by the Tsonga people. The 19th-century president, Paul Kruger took a decisive step to safeguard the park's wildlife from poaching, resulting in the relocation of indigenous communities to new areas.