Wildlife

Unfortunately, it’s wildfire season again in western Canada and parts of the US. Even more unfortunately, a drone has already gotten in the way at an active fire where crewed aircraft are deployed.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the pilot responsible for a drone crash at California’s Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in May. DroneDJ readers may recall our report on the heartbreaking event in which reckless drone use wiped out an entire generation of elegant terns.

Remember the tragic story of an entire generation of elegant terns being wiped out in California when over 1,500 eggs were abandoned by terrified parents fleeing invasive drones? Lesson learned: Officials in Oregon are now working hard to prevent something similar from occurring in their wildlife reserves.

China’s famous herd of wandering elephants is showing a trend of returning south. We now have new aerial footage that supports a preliminary returning trend. Meanwhile, another drone video released by Chinese authorities shows adorable baby elephants engaging in a playful wrestling match!

The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Orange County, California, is supposed to be a safe haven for nesting and breeding birds. But over the last two weeks, the 1,300-acre coastal estuary has turned into a mass burial ground for unborn elegant terns. And reckless drone pilots are to blame.

A herd of 15 wild elephants is plowing through southwest China’s Yunnan Province and fast approaching Kunming, a city of 8.46 million, after escaping a nature reserve more than 300 miles away. And keeping a track on their progress is a task force of 360 personnel, 76 cars, and nine drones.

For marine scientists, undertaking research into sea mammals like dugongs in remote locations has always been difficult. But now, drones are helping to make marine conservation efforts more affordable, accessible, and reliable.

As pollinators of the forests, the iconic gray-headed flying fox, a megabat native to Australia, plays an extremely important role in the continent’s biodiversity. But the species is increasingly at risk of extinction. And effective monitoring has become imperative for more reliable conservation management.

Researchers from Croatia have stepped up landmine locating by complimenting bees with drones to make the job safer and much easier to do. The drones are used to track the bees and later locate the landmines’ location, keeping humans out of danger.

The St. Lawrence River in Canada has long been an area for researchers and scientists to track the animals to learn more. Drones have now joined in on the fun by allowing the River Institute to map the river and track the wildlife at a much lower cost.

Maybe it’s the lack of tourists. Maybe it’s the cooler weather. It’s not clear what brought them all together. But last week, a photographer in St. Petersburg, Florida, captured the unusual sight of hundreds of manatees chilling with dolphins.

Canada has chosen to purchase an Elbit Systems Hermes 900 search and rescue drone to monitor the endangered whale population along the east and west coasts of the country and the Arctic as a part of the Canadian National Aerial Surveillance Program.

Most of us know what pelicans look like. But, we’re willing to bet, you’ve never seen pelicans from quite this perspective!

Scientists have turned to drones to speed up the counting process undertaken to track Antarctic penguins’ numbers. The drones have cut down the counting time from two full days to just three hours, amazing!

Marine biologist Genni Brookshire and her team are using drones to help find and save distressed seals and other animals. However, due to the noise created by drones, Brookshire had to do some research on which would be best suited for the job.

Ecologists have turned to Australian-made drone technology to help track down endangered animals autonomously and efficiently. The drones can reach areas with ease and mark the location of the animals without needing to follow them.

A drone equipped with a thermal camera, used by Pål Sindre Svae wildlife and outfield manager, has been saving the lives of baby deer in Norway over the last month or so. So far the drone has saved 15 deer from 14 properties.

A drone video shared by David Johnson shows a hawk nesting with two babies at the top of a dead Ponderosa pine tree in River Heights, Utah. Johnson was alerted to the bird on his rental property after the tenant let the tree-cutting company know they were there.

In a drone video captured last week by Captain Domenic Biagini from Gone Whale Watching San Diego, we get the first look at a Beluga whale off the California coastline. The video is especially special as its the first time a Beluga whale has been spotted in Californian waters.

India‘s Civil Aviation Ministry has given the go-ahead for the first time for drones to fly during nightfall to help fight locusts swarming on large trees across northwest and central India.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deployed three autonomous drones in May to the Bering Sea. The drones will be used to monitor America’s largest fish stock and capture data on the ever-changing weather patterns in the Arctic.

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