What Technologies Could Be Used to Help Animals in the Wild?

Original text Luciano Carlos Cunha · Volume VII, p. 83 of the PDF edition · English translation

New technologies allow us to observe things that were never possible before, such as identifying insects individually and recognizing them later, and modeling how the various animal populations in a habitat affect one another's presence and numbers. Analysis of the data collected can inform us about the presence of species in an area, their numbers, the way the distribution of different groups of animals changes over time, and the factors that contribute to this, such as the animals' mortality, health and behavior. We will look at some examples below¹³³.

Camera traps are cameras with motion sensors that are installed in the natural habitat. They can take photos periodically or record videos at specific times, providing continuous updates. They can collect information about the location and number of animals, their behaviors and physical condition, helping to monitor the animals' well-being and the factors that affect it, such as rapidly growing populations, the presence of other species, resource limitations in the area and the way the animals use those resources.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology, also known as 3D laser scanning, produces three-dimensional images of landscapes. It can be deployed on the ground or on an aerial vehicle and produces high-resolution images that show the structure of a habitat in detail, down to the position of leaves on branches. It can detect the abundance and distribution of species populations as well as the physical properties of the habitat that affect those populations. The data can help us understand animals' resource needs and how adequately they are being met.

Thermal imaging¹³⁴ uses infrared cameras to capture the heat signatures of animals in an area. It can determine the presence of particular kinds of animals and their population numbers, including those of camouflaged animals. One of its greatest uses is detecting physical stress, which may occur because of an injury, disease, fear or some other kind of threat response. It also makes it possible to identify localized injuries.

Acoustic data analysis (of the sounds of animals and of the environments in which they live) provides information about health, interactions between animals and changes in a habitat's conditions. Recordings include infrasonic and ultrasonic sounds, both beyond the range of human hearing. There are microphones that work in water as well as on land and in the air.

Environmental DNA (eDNA)¹³⁵ is a way of collecting genetic material in natural environments, such as hair, feathers, feces and scales. It requires no interaction with the animals, thus avoiding any negative impact on them. It provides information about an animal's diet, health and age. It can estimate the kinds of animals living in an area and their numbers.

Continuous improvements in data processing power will increase our ability to use data to gain insights into animals' well-being. As awareness of the situation of wild animals grows, the use of these technologies will expand, providing much more practical information on how to help animals.