1. An apparatus for image-based tracking of surveillance objects in front of a scene background in a surveillance scene, comprising an object segmentation module configured for ascertaining moving object areas in front of the scene background, an administration module configured for assigning surveillance objects to the moving object areas, detecting a fusion of two or more surveillance objects, and making them jointly as an object group; and a feature detection module configured in terms of programming and/or circuitry for determining local features for tracking the surveillance objects on the object group in image areas defined by the moving object areas.