The SU Center for Tropical Conservation Studies recently organized a lecture series on Basic Telemetry and Tracking Methods.
Matt Ward from Talarak Foundation Inc. spoke on the importance of wildlife monitoring, field techniques on monitoring, and the usage of data.
He highlighted how to monitor wildlife to conserve species effectively, by understanding their ecology distribution, human interactions, habitat requirements, and social behavior.
With the use of advanced technology, like telemetry, remote monitoring through camera trapping, GPS (global positioning system), and RFID (radio frequency identification) recording, Ward said people can view the lives of wild animals in their natural habitat, without any disturbances.
He said that although such techniques were introduced for hunting and falconry for sports, conservationists have since adapted these methods as a tool to help conserve wildlife.
“Monitoring wildlife has paved the way for acquiring new knowledge about species occurrence and behavior, with minimal interference,” Ward said.
Data collected from observations throughout a week or a decade could provide the science community with key behavior, ecology, and life history information, such as the species annual cycles or density, he added.
Ward showed how camera traps can be used in monitoring population growth.
At the Bayawan Nature Reserve, he said the Talarak Foundation released 22 Visayan Warty Pigs (Sus cebifrons), and through camera-trapping efforts, can now estimate the population to have grown at least three-fold, to around 70 pigs. He said the increase indicates some success for the released pigs, and how the living conditions at the reserve must be “suitable” for them.
The Talarak Foundation personnel also demonstrated how a Very High Frequency radio transmitter works when a tagged animal needs to be located, assessed, or monitored.
Prof. Leandro Cabrera, Centrop coordinator, said they plan to use such technology to further conservation efforts, during the release of the Negros Bleeding-Heart Pigeon (Gallicolumba keayi) in the wild. (Selin Antonio Toker/SU Biology)
