A Bird’s-Eye View of Wolves

Wolves are a widely studied species in Yellowstone. Since wolves were reintroduced to the park after an absence of almost eighty years, scientists spend a variety of time analyzing the animals’ particular behavior.

"Our know-how of wolves is great due to decades of studies round the sector," stated Tom Oliff, chief of herbal resources. "The capability to oversee wolves in the wild has been challenging and the understanding won thru direct observations of behavior is helpful to know-how the species."

The high-quality manner to have a look at wolf motion is from the air. The Raven’s Eye View of Yellowstone is a component of the Aerial Eyes challenge that is supported with the aid of Yellowstone Park Foundation (www.Ypf.Org) in cooperation with Canon U.S.A. The Eyes on Yellowstone software is made feasible by means of Canon; it gives investment and digital technology to help an array of park resource management and training programs.

Using a Canon EOS 20D digital digital camera body with a a hundred-400EF lens (f four.Five-five.6) as a systematic tool, wolf biologists Doug Smith and Dan Stahler are changing the way quantitative and qualitative wolf statistics are accumulated and studied.

The scientists have documented various behavior-from hunting prey, to raising puppies, to interacting with various species in the course of the park. The info, however, remain difficult to see with the bare eye, in particular when using the recurring monitoring method of aerial radio tracking from constant-wing aircraft flying excessive overhead.

The digital equipment has helped revolutionize this research. High-decision digital photos that may be taken several hundred feet above floor and later superior have, in a short time, opened new home windows to reading wolf ecology and behavior.

"This is a first-rate step forward for wolf research, providing first-of-its-type outcomes," said Stahler. "Of particular fee is the identification of man or woman wolves and the function every plays inside the % while engaged in exclusive activities. Determining the presence and wide variety of doggies in a clutter, or whether or now not a sure member of the p.C. Remains alive, can now be easily discernable via reading photographs keen on satisfactory virtual digital camera device."

Digital photography has changed technological know-how, and it has allowed Yellowstone scientists to collect facts in no way obtained via any other wolf research venture. The combination of virtual imaging and stronger lens pleasant are key scientific gear to assist study and understand wolves.

A p.C. Of wolves in Yellowstone is monitored by using plane prepared with cameras.

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