Exploring the feasibility of unmanned aerial vehicles and thermal imaging for ungulate surveys in forests - preliminary results

Effective wildlife management and conservation require reliable assessments of animal abundance. However, no ungulate monitoring methods is entirely satisfying in terms of cost-effectiveness and accuracy. A new method combining unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and thermal infrared (TIR) imaging may have great potential as a tool for ungulate surveys. Drones enable safe operations at low flying altitudes, and at night – a time that often offers...