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This article analyses regulatory responses to rapid intensification of the use of drones/remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in the context of wildlife protection.Benefits and disadvantages of the technology to wildlife are examined, before three key limitations in policy and law are identified: failure to address wildlife disturbance in RPA regulation; reliance upon insufficiently comprehensive existing wildlife protection legislation to manage disturbance effects; and limited species-specific research on disturbance. A New Zealand case study further reveals an inconsistent regulatory approach struggling to keep pace with innovation, inadequate regulatory capture of environmental effects due to exemption as "aircraft", and no recognition that specific geographical locations, such as coastal areas, distinguished by recreational pressures and high numbers of threatened species require special consideration. Recommendations include acknowledging the impact on wildlife in policy, gap analysis of legal arrangements for protection from disturbance (including airspace), and adoption of minimum approach distances to threatened species.

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A new automated monitoring device for small carnivores, the Scentinel®, is a ‘smart’ tracking tunnel. It records time, date, weight and a digital photograph of every animal visiting it, and stores the data to be downloaded on command. This paper describes a field trial aiming, first, to verify the Scentinel’s species identifications against those given by footprint tracking papers, and then to compare the efficacy of routine monitoring with the Scentinel against standard tunnel tracking methods. In February–April 2005 we identified to species 98% of 1559 visiting animals, mainly hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), ferrets (Mustela furo), cats (Felis catus) and rats (Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus) in 1718 Scentinel-nights. In May–June 2005 we set up three monitoring lines 1 km apart, each with 10 tracking tunnels and two Scentinels. We recorded 656 visits by ship rats (Rattus rattus), 88% of them on only one of the three lines, in 198 Scentinel-nights (over 5 weeks). The 30 footprint tracking tunnels set intermittently (360 trap-nights) recorded high (70–100%) tracking rates on all lines. The presence of a stoat (Mustela erminea) was detected by both methods, but earlier by Scentinels than by tracking tunnels. These results confirm that it is possible to use automated devices to record detailed monitoring data on small carnivores in remote areas over long periods, unaffected by interference or bait loss from common non-target species.

Summary  Exotic predators are considered pests to wildlife and agriculture, requiring predator‐control programs. Effective monitoring of predator‐control operations is essential to justify their considerable cost, but often impossible in practice. The difficulties are especially severe if the target species is small and wide‐ranging, and the area to be protected is inaccessible and/or extensive. A convenient model predator of this type, the feral Ferret (Mustela furo), is subject to control on farmland in New Zealand. We monitored the distribution of Ferrets over 2400 ha in the central North Island, before and throughout a standard control operation by professional trappers. We used 24 units of a new automated monitoring device, the Scentinel, set in a grid at 1 per 100 ha. Over 11 weeks (11 February to 29 April 2005, 1718 trap nights), we recorded 1559 visits by small mammals, including 198 by Ferrets. By the end of the 4th week, Ferrets had been detected at 17 of 24 sites. Removal of Ferrets from the study area by contractors began during the 5th week, and was reflected in significant declines in the number of Ferret visits recorded per day (P = 0.008) and the number of sites visited (P = 0.021). Analysis of our extensive repeat‐survey data by site‐occupancy methods confirmed these trends in greater detail, while also allowing for variation in detectability.