The UAV used in the study (shown above with researcher Mark Ditmer) was a quadcopter drone, relatively small in size compared to other drones. (Image credit: Jessie Tanner)
Black bears are scared by drones flying overhead, even though they do not appear startled to observers.
Researchers flew a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over wild American black bears outfitted with heart rate monitoring equipment and GPS trackers. They found that, although the bears appeared calm outwardly, their heart rate increased suddenly, jumping from 41 beats per minute to 162.
The researchers found that after the first UAV flight the bears increased their rate of movement beyond previous records for each individual, suggesting the bears are attempting to flee the area.
The team conducted 18 flights over four bears, including males and females both with and without cubs, during September and October, 2014.
Original research paper published in Current Biology on August 13, 2015.
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