Optimising observing strategies for monitoring animals using drone-mounted thermal infrared cameras

The proliferation of relatively affordable off-the-shelf drones offers great opportunities for wildlife monitoring and conservation. Similarly the recent reduction in cost of thermal infrared cameras also offers new promise in this field, as they have the advantage over conventional RGB cameras of being able to distinguish animals based on their body heat and being able to detect animals at night. However, the use of drone-mounted thermal infrared cameras comes with several technical challenges. In this paper we address some of these issues, namely thermal contrast problems due to heat from the ground, absorption and emission of thermal infrared radiation by the atmosphere, obscuration by vegetation, and optimizing the flying height of drones for a best balance between covering a large area and being able to accurately image and identify animals of interest. We demonstrate the application of these methods with a case study using field data, and make the first ever detection of the critically endangered riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis) in thermal infrared data. We provide a web-tool so that the community can easily apply these techniques to other studies (http://www.astro.ljmu.ac.uk/~aricburk/uav_calc/)

Diamond mine or gold mine? Using eDNA to identify golden moles along the west coast of South Africa

Golden moles (Chrysochloridae) represent one of the most threatened mammal groups in southern Africa. The west coast of South Africa is an important but under-surveyed part of their range. Vast stretches of the coastal dune habitats have been severely impacted by alluvial diamond mining over the past century, and rapidly developing residential areas and agriculture have continued to transform large sections of these habitats, particularly over the past two decades. This has created concern among conservationists for the conservation status and continued survival of golden mole species in these dune ecosystems. In spite of the prevailing diamond mining activities, we are interested in finding a shimmer of the “living gold” of the Chrysochloridae that potentially still exists here, and when we do, devising plans to protect it.http://afrotheria.net/ASG.htmlam2022BiochemistryGeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog