Wild Boar Thermal Drone Survey
Wild Boar Thermal Drone Survey
Wild boar present a unique challenge for wildlife monitoring due to their nocturnal behaviour, preference for dense habitats, and rapid movement across the landscape. At BH Wildlife Consultancy, we have carried out numerous thermal drone surveys across the UK and Europe, successfully identifying wild boar populations in England, Wales, Scotland, and Germany.
Thermal drones have proven to be an invaluable tool for detecting wild boar, especially in thick woodland and understorey where visual surveys are limited. Unlike species with insulating coats - such as sheep - wild boar emit more body heat, making them highly visible through thermal imaging even in dense vegetation.
The video below highlights the effectiveness of this technology, capturing a wild boar sounder using thermal, zoom, and wide-angle views simultaneously. This method not only improves accuracy in detection but also provides insights into group composition and behaviour.
Every year we conduct large landscape scale surveys in Europe including areas that have wolves present which impact the distribution of boar and other wild animals.
Species Distribution Map showing all BHWC's data till May 2025
Key Statistics
As of May 2025, BH Wildlife Consultancy has counted over 800 Wild Boar.
800 Wild Boar have been counted throughout Scotland, England, Wales and Germany.
800
Wild Boar
3
Countries
How is the Thermal Drone used to detect Wild Boar?
This footage demonstrates just how challenging wild boar are to spot with the naked eye - especially in thick, forested terrain. However, with the aid of our thermal drone technology, they become easily detectable and countable. The video captures the same moment in time using three different drone camera modes:
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Thermal view to detect heat signatures
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Zoomed-in optical view for detail and identification
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Wide-angle view to show landscape context and group movement
Contact Us
Have a particular wildlife challenge you’re trying to deal with? Please contact me to discuss how BH Wildlife Consultancy could help.
