More than 600 Asian elephants have been found in Malaysia’s biggest national park, an encouraging sign of conservation of this threatened species. The number comes from a new survey method that counted elephant dung piles to estimate the population size.
This method has now become widely accepted and is endorsed by the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It provides a low-tech, low-cost means to combat previous issues with counting the elusive elephants in rain forests.
While this survey method may make good sense, I can’t help but envision a more precise method, say with thermal sensors aboard an aerial platform. Direct observation from sensors could provide so much more detail about the health and habits of these animals.
