Data from: Infrared barriers as a detection tool to reduce human-elephant conflicts
Data files
Sep 25, 2023 version files 67.54 KB
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Dryad_data_wildlife_biology.xlsx
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README.md
Abstract
Elephant incursions into farms represent an important challenge for local communities and farmers living around protected areas, but also for the long-term conservation of elephants. Early detection of elephants is a promising technique to reduce elephant presence in farms and human settlements reducing human elephant interactions. In this study we investigated the potential of infrared barriers to detect African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana). We designed and tested battery-operated photoelectric beam sensors in 12 locations of southern Tanzania and assessed the elephant detection accuracy through camera trapping for a total of 246 days. We obtained 1803 recordings of wildlife crossing the barriers range (30 different species of mammals and several bird and bat species). Our results show that infrared barriers, when located at 1.75-2.2 m high, detect 100% of adult elephants and ∼29% of subadult elephants. Giraffes were the only other wildlife species detected by the barriers. Interestingly, large vehicles were also detected, which might be helpful to prevent motorized poaching. Given the gregarious behaviour of elephant families, and the limited access for vehicles, infrared barriers may represent an interesting and cost-effective detection system for early warning strategies in elephant-dominated areas of Africa and Asia or for other large-sized visitors.
README: Infrared barriers as a detection tool to reduce Human-Elephant Conflicts. Animal crossing vs animals detected by Infrared barriers
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jsxksn0gt
The data is a compilation of the information recorded by sets of 3 camera traps regarding animal individuals that crossed in between transmitter and receiver of an infrared barrier located 1,7-2m above ground level as mentioned in the related Wildlife Biology article "Infrared barriers as a detection tool to reduce Human-Elephant Conflicts".
Description of the data and file structure
The data compiles a table with the information of the animals that crossed the infrared barriers according to the camera traps (sorted by location, specie, date and hour) . The last column explains whether the animals were detected or not by the infrared barriers.
- Data is also available under reasonable request from the authors.