Wildlife Health Monitoring

The Conservation Superpowers of IoT... May 17th marks a crucial day for our planet. Today, it's Endangered Species Day. As we spotlight the urgent need to protect our planet's biodiversity, I want to remind you how cutting-edge technology, specifically IoT, is a game changer in wildlife conservation. Here’s why IoT isn’t just about smart homes and industries: → Real-Time Monitoring: IoT devices can track the health and movement of species across remote areas, sending alerts about potential threats—like poaching or habitat encroachment—in real-time. → Habitat Management: Automated sensors can monitor environmental changes, helping conservationists act swiftly to mitigate adverse conditions. → Data-Driven Decisions: Accumulated data from IoT devices can guide better decision-making processes in conservation strategies, ensuring efforts are directed where needed. 🌱 Want to get involved? → Support local and global conservation initiatives, adopt eco-friendly practices, and consider participating in habitat restoration projects. 💡 Let’s discuss: How can technology further revolutionize our approach to saving endangered species? 🔄 Share if you believe in tech-powered conservation! #EndangeredSpeciesDay #IoT #ConservationTech #Biodiversity #EcoInnovation

Understanding ecosystem health in real time is critical, but traditional monitoring methods can't keep up with the pace of biodiversity loss. This article shows European eels have vanished from my local Somerset Levels, shocking experts. We simply need better tools. NatureMetrics is pioneering eDNA biodiversity monitoring to provide the real-time ecosystem insights needed to make proactive land management decisions. Our technology detected no eel DNA in Somerset Levels drains, proving eDNA's value for rapid biodiversity assessment. The Wildlife Trusts will now implement a number of actions to restore populations. We're ready to partner with brands, conservation groups, governments and industry worldwide to leverage our technology to protect & regenerate critical ecosystems and species. #natureintelligence #biodiversitymonitoring #natureinsights 

What if conservationists didn’t have to wait months to know what’s happening in the wild? That’s the promise of Sentinel, an AI-powered device developed by the nonprofit Conservation X Labs. Unlike traditional camera traps that sit passively for months before data is retrieved, Sentinel acts as a mini-computer in the field. It processes images locally, filters out empty frames, identifies species, and transmits compressed insights in real time — even from remote forests and islands with limited connectivity. Already, the technology is proving game-changing: In New Zealand, Sentinel helped detect invasive rats on Ulva Island, enabling fast action that prevented ecosystem collapse. In the Florida Everglades, it has been deployed to track invasive Burmese pythons. Across 14 countries, more than 500 units are now in use for invasive species detection, anti-poaching efforts, and wildlife monitoring. Challenges remain — from training AI models on rare species with limited images to keeping costs low enough for underfunded conservation groups. But the potential is huge: turning camera traps from passive observers into real-time guardians of biodiversity. 👉 Read Abhishyant Kidangoor's interview with Dante Wasmuht, head of AI at Conservation X Labs, on how Sentinel works and why scaling it could transform conservation: https://lnkd.in/gtAY_qUu. Image: With the use of Sentinels, organizations around the world are attempting to reduce the time between camera trap monitoring and conservation action on the ground. Image courtesy of Conservation X Labs.

Health and environmental effects to wildlife from radio telemetry and tracking devices—state of the science and best management practices Manville AM, Levitt BB, Lai HC. Health and environmental effects to wildlife from radio telemetry and tracking devices—state of the science and best management practices. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Vol. 11, 2024. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1283709. ABSTRACT This paper discusses the potential health risks and benefits to tagged wildlife from the use of radio tracking, radio telemetry, and related microchip and data-logger technologies used to study, monitor and track mostly wildlife in their native habitats. Domestic pets, especially canids, are briefly discussed as radio-tagging devices are also used on/in them. Radio tracking uses very high frequency (VHF), ultra-high frequency (UHF), and global positioning system (GPS) technologies, including via satellites where platform terminal transmitters (PTTs) are used, as well as geo-locating capabilities using satellites, radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips, and passive integrated responder (PIT) tags, among others. Such tracking technologies have resulted in cutting-edge findings worldwide that have served to protect and better understand the behaviors of myriad wildlife species. As a result, scientists, field researchers, technicians, fish and wildlife biologists and managers, plus wildlife and other veterinarian specialists, frequently opt for its use without fully understanding the ramifications to target species and their behaviors. These include negative physiological effects from electromagnetic fields (EMF) to which many nonhuman species are exquisitely sensitive, as well as direct placement/use-attachment impacts from radio collars, transmitters, and implants themselves. This paper provides pertinent studies, suggests best management practices, and compares technologies currently available to those considering and/or using such technologies. The primary focus is on the health and environmental risk/benefit decisions that should come into play, including ethical considerations, along with recommendations for more caution in the wildlife and veterinarian communities before such technologies are used in the first place. Open access paper: https://lnkd.in/gNnej69j 

Ticks and tick-borne diseases pose a significant threat to animal health, impacting both domestic and wild species. These ectoparasites not only cause direct harm through blood loss, skin irritation, and secondary infections but also transmit a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. In wildlife, heavy infestations can lead to reduced fitness, impaired reproduction, and even mortality, which may disrupt ecological balance. Effective wildlife management practices are essential to mitigate these impacts. This includes continuous monitoring of tick populations, habitat management to reduce tick-host encounters, and integrated tick control strategies that are safe for both animals and the environment. Collaborative research, public awareness, and policy development are crucial to protecting biodiversity and ensuring the long-term health of ecosystems.