Scientists worry about the use of a drone in the viral video of a teddy bear

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 waterfall on the part of an irresponsible drone operator who should know better," tweeted Dr. Jacquelyn Gill, paleoecologist and assistant professor of climate science at the University of Maine.

"Harassing wild animals for a photo, selfie or video is never acceptable, respect the animals by leaving them space and do not share messages in which animals are clearly in distress or in danger. danger simply because someone wanted to become viral. "

Drones are an incredible tool to document and learn 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. Just look at some of the incredible BBC drone images Planet Earth II.

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 has actually shown that flights aboard nearby drones increased the heart rate of bears up to 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 UAVs are loud and surprising when they are not expected," he says. tweeted Lucy Gem Poley, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Geography at the University of Calgary. "Can only imagine how disturbing they are to wildlife.

Michael Buholzer / Reuters

"Even though drones do not cause 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," Lida Far responded.

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.

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