The Chamber of Mértola in Beja’s district has started a project that is thought to be innovative for a “very immersive” observation of animals and that aspires to be “an open window” to the region's biodiversity. The “Mértola Bio Live Cam” project will enable “observing the behaviour of species in the wild, in a simple, fast, intuitive and very immersive way” by using real-time, high definition (4K) video cameras.

“We intend for each camera we put on 'live streaming' to become a true open window into the biodiversity of our municipality”, Mario Tomé, Mértola’s president explained. According to the mayor, “this project is part of the municipal strategy for the hunting sector, with the objectives of boosting the 'Capital da Caça' brand, promoting hunting and nature tourism, and publicising the fantastic biodiversity of the territory”.


The Iberian Hare and Wild Rabbit Recovery Project (PRLIC), which is currently underway in the municipality, was born from the need to create a permanent monitoring tool for two wild rabbit populations. As Mário Tomé shared, “As the results of this experience were extremely satisfactory, exceeding our expectations, the idea of ​​sharing our live cameras publicly emerged” creating “a unique project, with another dimension, robustness and with more comprehensive objectives”.

The “Mértola Bio Live Cam” not only offers nature enthusiasts an engaging and immersive recreational experience, but it also emphasises “the positive consequences that well-structured hunting management can bring to biodiversity”. At the same time, as mentioned by Mário Tomé, the project “can be used as a very useful tool for biologists, scientists, ecologists, hunting managers and many other professionals who want to collect information about the behaviours of some hunting species”.