Institute for African Development Seminar: Acoustic Monitoring as an Effective Conservation Tool: examples from the African Forest Elephant

Basic research, and applying what we learn directly to enhance conservation efforts, is a primary focus of the Elephant Listening Project. About equal effort is targeted at gathering new data from the forests of Central Africa, pushing the boundaries of how we can use acoustic monitoring to achieve conservation goals, and building capacity in Central Africa to ensure sustainable conservation into the future.

While the use of innovative technology is a key part of what we do, good old basic observational studies also play a key role. Linking specific calls to interactions requires careful (and long) observation. At the same time, we strive to teach local assistants and researchers how to use the technology, building capacity in the next generation of conservationists.