In the 1970s and 1980s, porpoises and dolphins migrated from the North Sea due to overfishing and pollution. But fortunately the animals have been seen again in the Oosterschelde in recent years. Stichting Rugvin is committed to protecting these animals. To properly protect the animals, they must learn more about how the animals are doing. They want to know how many porpoises live in the Oosterschelde and whether they stay there for a longer period of time or only occasionally? How do the animals use the area? How old do the animals in the Oosterschelde get? Do the females have calves often? And how do the animals respond to disturbances? To find answers to these questions, they conduct research with the help of cameras. Together with volunteers they sail out in their boat and take photos of the animals. With the help of those photos they can find answers to their questions.
DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund supported the Rugvin Foundation so that they could purchase a good camera. The foundation’s volunteers can now take even better photos. They can recognize the animals and see, for example, whether they have scratches or scars. These scratches and scars tell the researchers more about the behavior of the animals, but also about the threats the animals face. Do you also want to help? See what you can do here!
