Drones | Inventory of wild boars in the "Ujście Warty" National Park, Poland

FACTS

Investor: Voivodeship Veterinary Inspectorate in Zielona Góra
Location: „Ujście Warty” National Park
Completion: 2022

INVESTMENT DATA

• 80.30 km² National Park area
• 581 animals from 4 species (wild boar, deer, roe deer, fox)
• Drone type Dji Matrice 300 RTK

CHALLENGE

The Voivodeship Veterinary Inspectorate in Zielona Góra asked us to carry out an inventory of wild boars living in the "Ujście Warty" National Park. The scope of our activities covered the entire area of the National Park, which is 80.30 km². To carry out the work, we proposed using our innovative services, i.e. a modern drone and a thermal imaging detector. For effective and efficient stocktaking, the area of the National Park has been temporarily divided into 8 smaller subareas, separated from each other by natural barriers reducing the migration of animals, e.g.: ponds, rivers. In order to exclude the movement of animals, each of the designated subareas was inventoried in a division into missions of appropriate size, performed during one flight session. Thanks to the use of a high-class thermal imaging detector, it was possible to perform the inventory also during the day, in full lighting, when the majority of the animals stays in the day refuge and rarely changes its location undisturbed.

The raids were carried out at a maximum height of 120 meters above ground level. This height allowed the animals to function peacefully and did not disturb them during the stocktaking. High-quality equipment and a professional camera made it possible to take pictures with a high zoom and maintain very good quality photos.

EFECT

The effect of Eltel Networks' work was to provide the ordering party with quantitative data on the number of Eurasian wild boars and other game species found in the "Ujście Warty" National Park. The Voivodeship Veterinary Inspectorate in Zielona Góra needed quantitative data on wild boars to adapt appropriate preventive measures to prevent the further spread in our country of a viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars - African swine fever (ASF).

The area of the “Ujście Warty” National Park is mostly difficult to access for humans and it is not possible to carry out a reliable inventory using traditional methods. Therefore, a specialized drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera was used to obtain the data. Knowledge of the game's quantitative status will help to adjust activities related to regulating the wild boar population in a given area.

Making an inventory of wild boars in the "Ujście Warty" National Park was a great opportunity for us to present the professional skills of the drone operator and to gain further experience in flying over a huge area of more than 80 km².