As large carnivores like wolves and bears return to Norwegian forests, farmers face increasing challenges in protecting free-ranging cattle.
"My PhD research explores how cows respond to predators using tiny sensors that track movement and heart rate, like fitness trackers for animals that register movement and hear rate", tells Laura Jeanne to inn.no.
In her doctoral work, she and others have developed a model that automatically recognizes cows' behaviour based on movement data from their collars.
The data they have received tells us quite a bit about what happens to cows when, for example, predators approach. And not least – they can help resolve a major conflict.
"These tools help us understand how cows can behave under stress, which can lead to better care and fewer conflicts between wildlife and farmers."
Niccolai enjoys disseminating her research and has created a comic book of one of the research articles she had published during her PhD work.
The fellow tells inn.no that she has learned a lot from this. She has also gained a broader perspective on what research into the kind of things she has been doing can mean.
"Through this journey, I’ve gained new perspectives on how science can bridge deep divides between researchers and farmers, and between research and real-world application. I’ve seen first hand how difficult coexistence can be when policies don't match ecological realities."
The title of Laura Jeanne Niccolai's thesis is: "Norwegian Forest Face-Off: Behavioural and physiological responses of free-ranging cattle to carnivores". She has completed her doctorate in the PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology.
Main findings in the doctoral work:
- We found a strong link between movement and heart rate, meaning we can estimate cows' physiological responses using only the collars - no need for extra sensors.
- Cows exposed to predators took longer to calm down, especially after smelling wolves or bears, showing they still recognize these threats.