In the past, helicopters have been used to spot polar bears, but the aircraft are costly and disturbing to wildlife. Drones provide a low cost, less invasive alternative.
On a recent Arctic expedition, wildlife photographer and conservationist, Ole Jørgen Liodden, sent Intel’s Falcon 8+ drone into the sky in order to shed light on the happenings of the polar bear population. Equipped with a thermal camera, Liodden and the team could see the bears on the white ice that would otherwise camouflage them.
Liodden is using the drone to capture data on polar bears’ behaviour, breeding, feeding and migration habits. This data will help researchers understand how climate change is affecting the Arctic and global ecosystems.
The biggest threat to the Arctic polar bear population is loss of sea ice due to climate change. “If polar bears are struggling, we will be the next ones struggling because the climate change will affect all of us,” says Liodden.
Picture Credit : Google
