Behavioural and physiological responses of captive Antillean manatees to small aerial drones
Sarah S. Landeo-Yauri A , Delma Nataly Castelblanco-Martínez
B C D H , Yann Hénaut E , Maria R. Arreola F and Eric A. Ramos C G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Posgrado de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Ciudad Universitaria 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, México.
B Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, México. Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor, Alcaldía Benito Juárez, C.P. 03940, Ciudad de México, México.
C Fundación Internacional para la Naturaleza y la Sustentabilidad, Calle Larún Manzana 75, Lote 4, C.P. 75014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México.
D Universidad de Quintana Roo, Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Bulevar Bahía s/n esq. Ignacio Comonfort Del Bosque, C.P. 77019, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México.
E El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Av. Centenario km 5.5, carretera Chetumal-Calderitas C.P. 77014 Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México
F Dolphin Discovery, Quintana Roo, México. Av. Banco Chinchorro Mza 01, Lote 7-02, C.P. 77504, Cancún, Quintana Roo, México.
G The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
H Corresponding author. Email: castelblanco.nataly@gmail.com
Wildlife Research 49(1) 24-33 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR20159
Submitted: 9 September 2020 Accepted: 13 March 2021 Published: 17 June 2021
Abstract
Context: Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones are powerful tools for wildlife research. Identifying the impacts of these systems on target species during operations is essential to reduce risks of disturbance to wildlife, to minimise bias in behavioural data, and to establish better practices for their use.
Aims: We evaluated the responses of captive Antillean manatees to the overhead flight of a small aerial drone.
Methods: We used aerial and ground videos to compare manatee activity budgets and respiration rates in three 15-min sampling periods: ‘before’, ‘during’ and ‘after’ flights with a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced. The drone was hovered stationary for 3 min at five altitudes (100 m, 40 m, 20 m, 10 m, 5 m) to determine whether manatees display behavioural responses compared with the control period, and whether they respond more at lower altitudes. Only one flight was performed per manatee group to avoid bias owing to habituation to the drone.
Key results: Manatees responded to drone flights by (1) increasing their activity levels during and after flights, therefore signalling after effects; (2) decreasing their respiration rate during flights; and (3) displaying behavioural reactions including grouping, tail-kicking, fleeing from their original position and moving under submerged structures. From the 11 individuals displaying behavioral reactions, 9 reacted in the first ~2 min of flight, preventing assessments of altitude effects and suggesting manatees responded to the drone sound at take-off.
Conclusions: Behavioural changes of responding manatees were similar to previous reports of disturbance responses to boats and drones in this species. Our use of a control period showed shifts in respiration rates and activity budgets that persisted after flights. Several manatees reacted to the drone from the time of take-off and first minutes of flight, indicating that the sound of the electric rotors could be a strong negative stimulus to manatee and highlighting the importance of establishing safe distances for take-off.
Implications: Future studies should consider that drones could elicit conspicuous and inconspicuous responses in manatees. Our results emphasise the need for control data on animal behaviour to better assess the impact of drones on wildlife and to design non-invasive protocols.
Keywords: behaviour, disturbance, unmanned aerial vehicles, Trichechus, UAS, UAV.
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