Let’s face it, if we want to conserve an imperiled species we need to find out what it needs and what it’s not getting.
Wilson’s latest invention for studying animal behavior is what he calls a "daily diary." The complex electronic device, about the size of a matchbook, is designed to be attached to enigmatic animals to find out what they are up to.
The beauty of diaries is their complexity and doggedness. They record all this information without political bias or fatigue, irrespective of whether their wearers are flying in the cold thin air high up in the Andes, cruising the black depths of the ocean one kilometer underwater off the Azores, or snuggled up tight in some warm burrow meters underground.
The obvious advantage is that the diary can be with animals when we cannot and thus, when we recover them, they can tell us the things, extraordinary things, that go on in animal lives to which we may not be privy. This is particularly important when it comes to animal conservation. Let’s face it, if we want to conserve an imperiled species we do need to find out what it needs and what it’s not getting.
Backing an animal diary for finding the truth about wildlife in trouble; a new approach to conservation.
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Revealing humanity’s secrets
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A new direction for research using the DD is the study of human behaviour. Recently, at the request of the Sports Science Department at Swansea University, Wilson has made available several accelerometers – a device that incorporates some of the basic functions of the DD – for use in a study of athletic performance. The results of this research could be used to boost athletes’ speed and endurance.
Prof. Wilson is excited at the possibilities of the DD to study human behaviour. “The whole thing is so open-ended,” he says. “And humans – who obey instructions readily – are a great species to test for movement and energy use. Just try to get rabbits to do some of the tests we are performing on the athletes!”