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Taking the time to assess the effects of remote sensing and tracking devices on animals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

CR McMahon ,
N Collier ,
JK Northfield  and
F Glen
CR McMahon*
Affiliation:
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
N Collier
Affiliation:
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
JK Northfield
Affiliation:
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0909, Australia
F Glen
Affiliation:
16 Eshton Terrace, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1BQ, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: clive.mcmahon@cdu.edu.au
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Abstract

The remote monitoring of animal behaviour using telemetry and bio-logging has become popular due to technological advances, falling costs of devices and the need to understand behaviour without causing disturbance to subjects. Over the past three decades thousands of animals have had their movements tracked by these devices; however, attaching devices to streamlined bodies raises concerns about energetic costs and effects on vital rates and the reliability of the data collected (eg survival probability). We encourage researchers to discuss concerns, quantify the possible effects that devices and attachment methods have on subjects and present this work for peer review.

Keywords

animal welfarebio-loggingconservationethicsremote sensingsatellite tracking
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , November 2011 , pp. 515 - 521
Copyright
© 2011 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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