Undertaking wildlife surveys with unmanned aerial vehicles in rugged mountains with dense vegetation: A tentative model using Sichuan Snub-nosed monkeys in China

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have broad applications. However, their use for wildlife surveys in rugged mountains with dense vegetation is uncommon. Therefore, developing appropriately designed methods, selecting suitable facilities, establishing effective monitoring processes, and managing databases that align with a region’s distinctive geographic landscapes, environments, ecology, and habitats are essential. This study focuses on the Giant Panda National Park in China’s densely vegetated Qinling Mountains to carry out surveys using UAVs to assess the Sichuan snub-nosed monkey population size (Rhinopithecus roxellana) over an area of 30,000 ha. The results indicate that eight distinct groups were identified, totaling 648–755 individuals. Thus, this study offers proof-of-principle for using UAVs for surveying wildlife in remote mountainous regions with complex landscapes and dense vegetation and demonstrates how UAVs can be used in animal monitoring and conservation. Furthermore, the study highlights the broader potential application of UAVs in other remote mountainous regions, where animal demographic information is urgently needed to establish database-driven conservation strategies.