Drone Usage Stressing Out Wildlife, Study

UAV or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in wildlife research, conservation and photography. Not much however is known what the animals make of them. A new study shows that UAVs could be stressing wildlife even when it may not seem apparent.

The Washington Post reports an experiment carried out by University of Minnesota researchers who flew UAVs over bears while they observed the animals. The bears in northwestern Minnesota were fitted with GPS collars and devices that collect heart rate data. When they flew UAVs, they found that bears' heart rates spiked though the animals did not show outward symptoms of stress like running away.

"Some of the spikes in the heart rate of the bears were far beyond what we expected. We had one bear increase her heart rate by approximately 400 percent-from 41 beats per minute to 162 beats per minute. Keep in mind this was the strongest response we saw, but it was shocking nonetheless," said Mark Ditmer, a post-doctoral researcher in the university's Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology.

The researchers stressed the use of heart-rate monitors as direct observations would have led them to conclude that UAVs did not stress the animals.

While they did not advocate against the use of UAVs, Ditmer and his colleagues said that more research is needed to determine appropriate heights to fly, species which are tolerant besides other factors that can help ensure animals in the wild are not stressed by the drones.