Thermal drones are highly effective for detecting elusive Bennett's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus bennettianus) in Australia's tropical rainforests
Norris, Emmeline Bernadette Barrett, and Larson, Johan (2025) Thermal drones are highly effective for detecting elusive Bennett's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus bennettianus) in Australia's tropical rainforests. Australian Mammalogy, 47 (1). AM24053.
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Abstract
Tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus spp.) are poorly studied owing to their elusive arboreal nature, which makes detection difficult using traditional methods such as spotlighting and hand-held thermal cameras. This note documents the first successful detection of Bennett's tree kangaroos (D. bennettianus) using thermal drones in tropical rainforest at Cape Tribulation, Australia. In less than an hour, six individuals were observed across 17 ha. The method proved minimally invasive and highly effective in rainforest environments despite dense vegetation and high temperatures, demonstrating both the unexpected abundance of this species and the utility of thermal drones for monitoring tropical arboreal fauna.
| Item ID: | 88314 |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1836-7402 |
| Keywords: | arboreal mammals, population monitoring, remote sensing, RPAS, survey method, thermal infrared, UAV, wildlife conservation |
| Copyright Information: | © 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of Australian Mammal Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Apr 2026 04:02 |
| FoR Codes: | 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310308 Terrestrial ecology @ 100% |
| SEO Codes: | 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1806 Terrestrial systems and management > 180606 Terrestrial biodiversity @ 100% |
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