Now Reading: Scientists use scent to monitor tigers and leopards
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Scientists use scent to monitor tigers and leopards
Scientists have developed a new tool to track India’s big cats by analysing scent compounds in their urine and scat. The method can identify the species, age, sex, and even reproductive status…
The Story in Brief
Scientists have developed a new tool to track India’s big cats by analysing scent compounds in their urine and scat. The method can identify the species, age, sex, and even reproductive status of tigers and leopards, NDTV reports.
The non-invasive technique could help conservationists monitor populations without disturbing the animals. It offers a more detailed picture than camera traps or pugmark counts, which are common but limited methods.
The Indian Opinion
This scent-based monitoring sounds promising, but India's tiger conservation narrative often overlooks funding and habitat loss. Officials love an impressive-sounding tech fix, but the real test is whether this tool becomes standard practice in the field. Will forest departments actually deploy it across reserves, or will it remain a paper study? The number of tigers lost to poaching each year will tell us more than any new gadget can.
Source: ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
