NEW FULL PAPER AVAILABLE: Seismic localization of elephant rumbles as a monitoring approach

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Thu, Jul 15, 2021 5:17 PM

Seismic localization of elephant rumbles as a monitoring approachMichael
Reinwald, Ben Moseley, Alexandre Szenicer, Tarje Nissen-Meyer, Sandy
Oduor, Fritz Vollrath, Andrew Markham & Beth MortimerJournal of the Royal
Society InterfaceJuly 14, 2021 Abstract

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are sentient and intelligent animals
that use a variety of vocalizations to greet, warn or communicate with each
other. Their low-frequency rumbles propagate through the air as well as
through the ground and the physical properties of both media cause
differences in frequency filtering and propagation distances of the
respective wave. However, it is not well understood how each mode
contributes to the animals’ abilities to detect these rumbles and extract
behavioural or spatial information. In this study, we recorded seismic and
co-generated acoustic rumbles in Kenya and compared their potential use to
localize the vocalizing animal using the same multi-lateration algorithms.
For our experimental set-up, seismic localization has higher accuracy than
acoustic, and bimodal localization does not improve results. We conclude
that seismic rumbles can be used to remotely monitor and even decipher
elephant social interactions, presenting us with a tool for far-reaching,
non-intrusive and surprisingly informative wildlife monitoring.

FULL PAPER PDF
LINKhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1eQ-3iLwj17ezFIiLadCubZaZ_td0XBva/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eQ-3iLwj17ezFIiLadCubZaZ_td0XBva/view?usp=sharing
FULL
PAPER WEB LINKhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0264
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0264

*Seismic localization of elephant rumbles as a monitoring approachMichael Reinwald, Ben Moseley, Alexandre Szenicer, Tarje Nissen-Meyer, Sandy Oduor, Fritz Vollrath, Andrew Markham & Beth MortimerJournal of the Royal Society InterfaceJuly 14, 2021 Abstract* African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are sentient and intelligent animals that use a variety of vocalizations to greet, warn or communicate with each other. Their low-frequency rumbles propagate through the air as well as through the ground and the physical properties of both media cause differences in frequency filtering and propagation distances of the respective wave. However, it is not well understood how each mode contributes to the animals’ abilities to detect these rumbles and extract behavioural or spatial information. In this study, we recorded seismic and co-generated acoustic rumbles in Kenya and compared their potential use to localize the vocalizing animal using the same multi-lateration algorithms. For our experimental set-up, seismic localization has higher accuracy than acoustic, and bimodal localization does not improve results. We conclude that seismic rumbles can be used to remotely monitor and even decipher elephant social interactions, presenting us with a tool for far-reaching, non-intrusive and surprisingly informative wildlife monitoring. *FULL PAPER PDF LINKhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1eQ-3iLwj17ezFIiLadCubZaZ_td0XBva/view?usp=sharing <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eQ-3iLwj17ezFIiLadCubZaZ_td0XBva/view?usp=sharing> FULL PAPER WEB LINKhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0264 <https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0264>*