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The Field Validation of Footprint Identification Technology on Free-roaming Cheetahs in Namibia
Abstract
The Footprint Identification Technology (FIT) is a non-invasive way to monitor species
by taking photographs of footprints left behind by the animals. FIT has only been
tested on cheetahs in captivity. Because wild cheetahs cross a multitude of substrate
types, FIT needs to be tested with footprints from the wide variety of ground types
that cheetahs walk on. Footprints were collected from 15 known free-roaming cheetahs
from four different field sites in Namibia. These footprints were ranked on a scale
of 0 to 5 for quality based on their clarity, substrate type, and age. Using the quality
rankings and differing lengths of trails, FIT was assessed on its ability to accurately
predict the number of individuals in an area and the sex of those individuals.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9651Citation
Laity, Kellie (2015). The Field Validation of Footprint Identification Technology on Free-roaming Cheetahs
in Namibia. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9651.Collections
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