This new technological initiative aims to overcome these difficulties and provide more precise data on this population. Discover this ambitious project which could revolutionize wildlife monitoring in mountain environments.
In addition, hunters have noticed a surprising development. Indeed, the latter discovered the appearance of new populations of chamois at lower altitudesparticularly in forests and near towns like Foix or Saint-Girons. This migration is partly attributed to climate changewhich modifies their natural habitat. Added to this is increased food competition with herds of cattle in summer pastures.
“The increase in mountain attendance is playing a role. With pastoralism, there are many more animals on the summer pastures than before. This creates food competition because the chamois consume the same grass as the herds.” explains Jean-Luc Fernandez, president of the departmental hunting federation.
Although these emerging populations are good news for the species, they are difficult to identify and quantify with current methods.
Faced with these challenges, the hunting federation decided to collaborate with partners such as the National Forestry Office (ONF), the Ariège Pyrenees Regional Natural Park and Spanish specialists. The objective is to exploit the capabilities of artificial intelligence to obtain reliable and precise data.
An innovative approach to counting chamois
For this project, around thirty cameras will be installed in the municipal and state areas of Ariège. Thanks to advanced algorithms, artificial intelligence will analyze the photos simultaneously. The objective is not to count the same individual several times and to identify the different species present in the valleys.
-The project will take place in several stages throughout the year. The devices will be moved every three weeks to different selected sites. At the end of each period, the collected data will be analyzed before moving on to another sector. This rigorous methodology guarantees reliable and usable results.
The final report will be submitted to the prefect and the Departmental Directorate of Territories (DDT), who use these figures to allocate hunting plans. If observations confirm an increase in populations at low altitudes, this could lead to a upward revision of harvest quotas. Currently, the hunting plan authorizes the harvest of 825 chamois.
With this innovative project, the Ariège hunting federation proves that it is possible to combine tradition and modernity in order to preserve and effectively manage animal species.
This project is reminiscent of the HuntAdapt appwhich also exploits advances in artificial intelligence. By automatically analyzing photos of game taken, this application makes it possible to collect precise data in real time. It thus promotes the reasoned management of wildlife.
Source : The Dispatch.
