Distribution of wildlife along tourism routes in Beijing Songshan National Nature Reserve.

To investigate the distribution of wildlife along the tourism routes in Beijing Songshan National Nature Reserve, 20 infrared cameras were set during November 2013 to November 2014. From the 1 558 pictures taken by the cameras, 35 species of wild animals were identified, including 12 mammals and 23 birds. The most common mammals captured were Sciurotamias davidianus, Arctonyx collaris, Meles meles and Prionailurus bengalensis, and the most common birds were Phasianus colchicus, Urocissa erythrorhyncha, Turdus naumanni and Myophonus caeruleus. Sus scrofa, a dangerous mammal, was pictured 9 times, mostly at night, which suggests a low threat to visitors’ safety in the daytime, but a potential danger to camping tourists. The photographic rate (PR) varied at different elevations and months. The PR at low elevation was higher than that in middle and high elevations. The PR reached 53.64% in September and dropped to 3.71% in December. Besides, the frequency of occurrences differed in species and time bucket. The results indicate that the wild animals distribute in certain rules along the tourism routes. This paper also discusses the efficacy of monitoring wildlife resources around tourist lines by infrared cameras, which contributes to the tourists’ security assurance and improves the ability of early warning and control.