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Researchers to use drones to collect data on pygmy rabbits

Jason Hanlon, the owner of Explore UAS a drone video company focusing on conservation efforts, points to video of a moose and her calf on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017. Researchers working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will fly a drone over pygmy rabbit reintroduction sites located in Beezley Hills, Grant County and portions of the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area in Douglas County. (Eli Francovich / The Spokesman-Review)
From staff reports

Researchers working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will fly a drone over pygmy rabbit reintroduction sites located in Beezley Hills, Grant County and portions of the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area in Douglas County.

Flights will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. between now and February. Flight timing will depend on the presence of adequate snow on the ground and suitable flight conditions.

The purpose of the flights is to test drone capabilities and effectiveness for tracking pygmy rabbit distribution and numbers in snowy conditions. Researchers will also use the drone to help determine the survival rate of reintroduced animals.