The use of drones for studying the behaviour of mammals

Abstract

Since the advent and wide use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), they have been increasingly useful in monitoring the abundance, distribution and behaviour of terrestrial and aquatic animals. At present, this technique is actively applied to mammal research. The diversity and relative availability of drones allows for a variety of research tasks to be achieved. The use of UAVs has its advantages and disadvantages, these being discussed in the present review. The study examines the advantages of using UAVs in comparison to other methods, identifies new research opportunities opened up by drones, and emphasizes the advantages of modern analytical tools. The technical limitations of UAVs and the problem of the negative impact of this technique on mammals are discussed. The need to minimize the disturbance of animals during such research is emphasized. In addition, the work summarizes the experience of using UAVs in the studies on Russia’s theriofauna.