Advances in wildlife monitoring technology including satellite tags, camera traps and environmental DNA are transforming conservation science while raising welfare considerations about their application and impact on monitored animals.
Wildlife monitoring technology has transformed conservation by providing data about animal behaviour, habitat use and population trends that was previously impossible to collect. The welfare implications of monitoring technology vary by method. eDNA and camera traps have no direct welfare impact. Satellite tags require attachment that may cause stress and, in some designs, ongoing discomfort. Tag weight standards — typically limiting tags to less than 3% of body weight for birds — are designed to minimise welfare impact. Radio and satellite tracking has revealed welfare-relevant information including illegal persecution events and high-risk locations, making monitoring a tool for welfare protection as well as research. Continuous improvement in tag miniaturisation and attachment method reduces welfare costs of future monitoring.