ABSTRACT
“What cannot be measured cannot be managed.” Thus, to manage — and conserve — wildlife, we need to measure wildlife and monitor changes in them, and in their populations. In this chapter, we explore the tools and techniques of wildlife monitoring, including census, sampling, sign surveying, radio-telemetry, and behavioural monitoring through analyses of activity patterns, scan sampling, and focal animal study.
For a reliable and robust monitoring, the procedure involved must provide results that are precise, accurate and unbiased. Thus, we discuss the fundamentals of various techniques and the precautions needed for their scientific implementation in the field.
