A video that at first glance seemed to tell an inspirational tale of perseverance has triggered a debate about using technology to study wildlife.
Drone footage of a baby bear’s multiple attempts to climb up a snow-packed mountain slope while its mother waits was shot back in June in Russia, but grabbed social media attention when it was posted on twitter recently.
While several people shared the video saying the bear’s effort to reach the top despite sliding down several times was inspiring, others said the animal was running away from the drone (also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs) that was filming it. Ice Age ecologist Jaquelyn Gill called for the video to be taken down as the drone operator was harassing and endangering the lives of the bears.
The user who originally posted the video, however, said it was not a drone but a bird of prey that the cub was trying to escape from. The debate continued with several others supporting Gill’s views.
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