Wild Technology

Scientists Serge Wich and Steven Longmore decided that they would look to the stars to help save species here on Earth. Wich studies ecosystems. Longmore studies stars and other objects in space. They installed special infrared cameras on remote-controlled aircraft to track endangered species in their natural habitats. The cameras are similar to those used by Longmore to study stars. They detect animals based on the heat their bodies generate.

“For best results you have to fly your camera drone early in the morning before the sun has had a chance to heat up the ground and the environment,” says Longmore. “We send the videos to colleagues who are skilled at finding and identifying animals in the footage.”

Scientists Serge Wich and Steven Longmore help save endangered species. Wich studies ecosystems. Longmore studies stars and other space objects. Together, they installed special cameras on remote-controlled aircraft. The cameras use infrared technology. The cameras track endangered species in their natural habitats. Longmore uses similar cameras to study stars. The cameras detect animals by their body heat.

“You have to fly your camera drone early in the morning, before the sun heats up the environment,” says Longmore. “We send the videos to colleagues who can find and identify animals in the footage.”

This flightless parrot is one of the world’s most endangered birds. The kakapo lives only in New Zealand. Just a few hundred birds are left. The species breeds every three or four years. It’s not unusual for the chicks to die from lack of food. Scientist Andrew Digby and his team hope to change that.

They put special backpacks equipped with a device similar to a fitness watch on the birds. The device tells Digby’s team the birds’ activity level and location. When a female lays eggs, the scientists swoop in and raise most of the chicks by hand. This makes sure the chicks receive enough food. 

“Over the last four years, the kakapo’s population has grown 70 percent thanks to our work,” says Digby. “We want to make sure as many chicks survive as possible.”

The kakapo is one of the world’s most endangered birds. It doesn’t have the ability to fly. The kakapo lives only in New Zealand. Only a few hundred birds are left. The species breeds every three or four years. The chicks often die because they don’t get enough food. Scientist Andrew Digby and his team hope to change that.

Digby and his team put special backpacks on the birds. The backpacks include a device similar to a fitness watch. The device tells Digby’s team the birds’ activity level. It also tells the team where the birds are located. The scientists wait for a female kakapo to lay eggs. Then the scientists come to get the eggs. They raise most of the chicks by hand. The scientists make sure the chicks get enough food.

“The kakapo’s population has grown 70 percent over the last four years, thanks to our work,” says Digby. “We want to make sure as many chicks survive as possible.”

Gray wolves are a key part of their ecosystem. They keep the numbers of animals they hunt in check. Their leftovers provide food for other creatures. But wolves are difficult to study because they are nocturnal. That means they are mostly active at night. 

Wildlife ecologist Caleb Bryce uses special collars to track the wolf population in Alaska’s Denali National Park. These collars have smart transmitters. They let Bryce know when the wolves are active or resting, where they chase and kill their prey, and when they wander into dangerous human territory, like highways.

“Understanding these important carnivores can help inform conservation efforts here and elsewhere,” explains Bryce. 

Gray wolves are an important part of their ecosystem. They hunt other animals. That makes sure the numbers of those species don’t grow too fast. Other creatures eat gray wolves’ leftovers. But wolves are difficult to study because they are nocturnal. That means they are mostly active at night.

Wildlife ecologist Caleb Bryce studies gray wolves in Alaska. He uses special collars to track the wolves in Denali National Park. These collars have smart transmitters. They let Bryce know when the wolves are active or resting. The transmitters show where the wolves chase and kill their prey. They let Bryce know when the wolves wander into dangerous human territory, like highways.

“Understanding these important carnivores can help inform conservation efforts,” explains Bryce.