An approach to rapid processing of camera trap images with minimal human input

Camera traps have become an extensively utilized tool in ecological research, but the manual processing of images created by a network of camera traps rapidly becomes an overwhelming task, even for small camera trap studies. We used transfer learning to create convolutional neural network (CNN) models for identification and classification. By utilizing a small dataset with an average of 275 labeled images per species class, the model was able to distinguish between species and remove false triggers. We trained the model to detect 17 object classes with individual species identification, reaching an accuracy up to 92% and an average F1 score of 85%. Previous studies have suggested the need for thousands of images of each object class to reach results comparable to those achieved by human observers; however, we show that such accuracy can be achieved with fewer images. With transfer learning and an ongoing camera trap study, a deep learning model can be successfully created by a small camera trap study. A generalizable model produced from an unbalanced class set can be utilized to extract trap events that can later be confirmed by human processors. We have streamlined an approach for adopting artificial intelligence methods for the rapid identification of animals from camera trap images. We use this rapid approach to document the abundance and species richness of animals living on two National Guard military sites in South Carolina.