Wildlife monitoring with drones: A survey of end users

• Published in: Wildlife Society bulletin (2011) 2024-09, Vol.48 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Iglay, Raymond B., Jones, Landon R., Elmore, Jared A., Evans, Kristine O., Samiappan, Sathish, Pfeiffer, Morgan B., Blackwell, Bradley F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aerial imagery; computer vision; experience; pilots; UAS; unoccupied aircraft systems
• ISSN: 2328-5540; 2328-5540
• DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1533

Rapid advancements in technology often yield research inquiry into novel applications and drone (i.e., unoccupied aircraft systems or UAS) applications in wildlife management are no exception. We questioned the time lag between drone‐related research and end‐user assessments. We implemented an online, cross‐sectional survey of wildlife professionals to better understand current drone use and benefits or concerns, complemented by a review of contemporary peer‐reviewed and gray literature. We found little disparity between scientific inquiry and end‐user experiences (i.e., similar trends among concerns in published literature and survey results). Exploring new (i.e., advancements in computer vision) and refining original drone applications (i.e., evaluating animal behavior responses during monitoring) were strong among pilots of relatively minimal experience (1–5 years). Advancements in drone technology and changes in drone‐related legislation will continue to offer benefits and challenges. Wildlife biologists have adopted drones as tools for wildlife monitoring. Despite concerns of time lags between drone user experiences and published literature, little disparity occurs according to a survey of 101 drone end users. Technology advances and refinements to survey approaches are expected to support continued use of drones in wildlife conservation and management.