RapportFondation 2025 V02 EN light - Flipbook - Page 50
Supporting SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
2024 REPORT
ALASKA
EUROPE
ASSESSING THE PHYSICAL CONDITION
of wild walruses
AMOUNT COMMITTED TO DATE: WE CONTRIBUTE
THROUGH TIME-INVESTMENT OF OUR TEAMS.
2023 > 2024
Despite weighing 2 tonnes (for the largest males), the walrus is classified
as “vulnerable” by IUCN. The melting of the Arctic ice pack due to climate
change represents a potential threat to its survival in the wild. Walruses
primarily feed on bivalve molluscs from the ocean floor. Between dives,
they need to rest—ideally on sea ice—which allows them to stay as close
as possible to their feeding grounds.
Because of climate change, the ice pack almost disappears over the summer
in some regions. Forced to return to land to rest, walruses have to travel
greater distances to feed, which uses more energy. If walruses expend
more energy than they consume, they are guaranteed to lose weight,
which pose risks to their health and reproduction. Unfortunately there’s
no way of getting wild walruses to stand on the scales for a health check!
Therefore, the aim of the project, led by the U.S. Geological Survey,
is to assess the physical condition of walruses remotely, using imaging
techniques. Drones will capture aerial images of wild walruses, which will be used to estimate their weight without
the need for physical measurements. To validate the model, the animals being photographed must first be weighed
and measured. This process is only possible in a wildlife park, but still requires a lot of planning! The team of Marine
Mammal keepers at Pairi Daiza implemented a lengthy program to achieve the desired behavior from the walruses.
Daily sessions were required to desensitize the animals to the presence of a cable and a moving camera (walruses
are very sensitive to disturbances in their environment), to visual cues on the ground, and to the tape measure used
for measurements.
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