Page 51 - World of Animals - Issue #29

Wildlife technology

Unmanned aerial

vehicles weighing whales
vehicles weighing whales

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The flying machine craze has record data over long periods of
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swept the globe and animal time and discover how the animals
researchers are making the most are affected by their environment.
of this new technology. Elusive Whales aren’t the only animals

species that are difficult to observe benefiting from the surge of
– such as the giant mammals drones; the Kashmir World
of the sea – can now be closely Foundation runs workshops
monitored. Drones can record and competitions to find new

video footage of whales, help and creative ways of using the
determine how much they weigh technology to save wildlife,
and even collect samples of their from counting snow leopards to
breath. Scientists are now able to protecting rhinos from poaching.
Hubble telescope DNA tags identify
watches whale sharks struggling fish populations

Classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the filter-feeding Tiny segments of genetic material, individuals will be related. This can

whale shark needs protection. The markings on the world’s known as molecular markers, are be dangerous because beneficial

largest fish are unique to each animal, and scientists can track used to identify sequences of DNA traits, such as resistance to certain
the lives of each shark if they can establish the identity of in a pool of unknown genes. The diseases, can be lost. Molecular

individual fish. The software that controls the space-based molecular markers can be used to markers are especially helpful in the

telescope can detect patterns in stars and galaxies, and the identify species and test genetic fishing industry to discover how
algorithm it uses can be applied to whale sharks. variation in groups of animals. genetically diverse a population
The pattern-matching ability of the software picks out If an animal population gets too is. This can determine the areas in

individual spotted markings, allowing scientists to differentiate small, its gene pool becomes less which fish species are struggling,
between animals that look identical at first glance. Each animal diverse, and many of the remaining helping to avoid overfishing.

can be virtually tagged without the slightest disruption to
their tranquil swimming, allowing the scientists that study their
movements to learn more about the species.
© Thinkstock; FLPA

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