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A video of a cub sliding and climbing a snowy mountain became viral on Twitter. Researchers and drone operators have expressed concern about the invasiveness and potential danger of using drones for image capture. "Respect the animals by leaving them room, and do not share messages in which animals are clearly in distress or danger simply because someone wanted to become viral," said paleoecologist Dr. Jacquelyn Gill . Drones can be useful tools for documenting wildlife, but they can be noisy and disrupt their habitat. Although scientists can not say with certainty, based on the video, that the presence of the drone has harmed bears, they believe that humans should be aware of the extent to which their actions may affect wildlife. Sorry, rat shower, Internet found another viral video on a bitten animal. Unfortunately, like the troubled saga of the old "shower rat", it causes eyebrow raising in animal experts. During the past week, you may have seen a video of a baby bear climbing on a snowy mountain to reach his mother. After many unsuccessful attempts and breathtaking descents into the mountain, the baby finally reaches his goal and reaches his mother. Cute, huh? While thousands of people have shared the video as a heartwarming drama, some researchers and drone operators have worried that the drone used to capture the images appears to be dangerously close to wildlife. "It's a dangerous operation on the part of an irresponsible drone operator who should know more," tweeted Dr. Jacquelyn Gill, a paleoecologist and assistant professor of climate science at the University of Maine. "Harassing wild animals for a photo, a selfie or a video is never acceptable. Respect the animals by giving them space, and do not share messages where animals are clearly in distress or danger simply because someone wanted to become viral. Drones are an incredible tool for documenting and learning about the world's wildlife. In fact, over the last two years, drones have proven to be an indispensable tool for an incredible number of scientific projects on wildlife and biodiversity. Check out some of the amazing BBC Planet Earth II drone images. That said, they should not be used recklessly. Drones can be noisy and have the obvious potential to disrupt wildlife. A 2015 study on black bears in northwestern Minnesota actually showed how flying on nearby drones increased the heart rate of bears by 123 beats per minute. Aerial drones can also create shadows very similar to birds of prey that could destabilize some species. The effects of drones on animal behavior are still relatively unstudied, but scientists and drone operators are increasingly aware of the problems they may pose. "As a UAV operator, I can confirm that drones are loud and surprising when they are not expected," tweeted Lucy Gem Poley, an ecologist and PhD candidate in geography at University of Calgary. "Can only imagine how disturbing they are to wildlife. Brown Bear Bjoerk sleeps with his four-month-old cub in a public bear park in Bern on April 5, 2010. Michael Buholzer / Reuters "Even though drones do not provoke a noticeable behavioral response, they could affect animals physiologically ( stress hormones, heart rate, etc.), "she also said. "As a drone operator, I was disgusted by the proximity of the operator to get the perfect shot," said Lida Far. It is impossible to say if the bears of the video were affected by the presence of the drone. Nevertheless, the video reminds you that you must always properly assess the impact of your behavior on the wildlife you observe or photograph. Visit the INSIDER homepage for more information.
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