Wildlife Monitoring

RMCC’s approach to wildlife monitoring is built upon years of invasive live-animal research that required capture, radio-tagging, and telemetry. Its current focus is on non-invasive tools and methods that result in very little if any disturbance to target animals. Monitoring wild animals in their native habitat, capturing natural behavior, has proven immensely important to natural resource managers and has become an invaluable tool for community engagement.

RMCC was an early entrant into the concept of using drones equipped with thermal sensors to monitor wild ungulates. Knowing the near impossible challenge of detecting and censusing cryptic cats in the wild, RMCC began testing drones for locating and counting wild ungulates, the primary prey of large cats. Wild cats tend to fair quite well when provided safe environments with adequate food sources: when prey are in good condition, wild cats are in good condition. Thus, an advancement in prey censusing advances the conservation of the predator. The overarching goal of RMCC’s non-invasive research is to test and prove efficacy compared to traditional methods; configure an appropriate suite of easy-to-use equipment at low cost; and, make the package available to conservation practitioners worldwide.

Ultimately, the use of advanced monitoring tools by RMCC exemplifies how modern technology can greatly enhance wildlife conservation. Camera traps and drones provide an efficient, ethical, and cost-effective means of studying species that are otherwise difficult to observe. These efforts not only benefit wild cat populations but also contribute to the overall health and balance of the ecosystems they inhabit.