The Use of Drones for Studying the Behavior of Mammals

From their beginning unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been very useful in monitoring the abundance, distribution, and behavior of terrestrial and aquatic animals. At present, this technique is actively being applied to mammal research. The diversity and relative availability of drones allows for a variety of research tasks to be achieved. The advantages and disadvantages of UAV use are discussed in this review. The advantages of using UAVs in comparison to other methods are examined. New research opportunities opened up by drones are identified, and the advantages of modern analytical tools are emphasized. The technical limitations of UAVs and the problem of the negative impact of this technique on mammals are discussed. The need to minimize the disturbance of animals during such research is emphasized. In addition, this work summarizes the experience of using UAVs in studies on Russia’s theriofauna.