Reposted from @jungle_doctor One of the biggest challenges faced by veterinarians and wildlife conservationists alike is that you are often working with a moving target. But this takes it to a whole new level! This amazing video by Dr @simonjpierce shows the collection of blood plasma in a free-swimming whale shark in the wild by @dr.al.dove, who is one of the pioneers of this method.
This new technique provides the ability to monitor the health of free-swimming animals, including learning more about their reproductive cycles and – by extension – their conservation needs. The hope is that this can be used to support better conservation decisions and reverse the trend of globally declining whale shark populations. And, for an endangered species, developments like these are crucial.
For anyone who loves whale sharks as much as I do, Drs Dove and Pierce have just released the first scientific textbook on whale sharks – “Whale Sharks - Biology, Ecology and Conservation”. I’m in awe of their work, and of these amazing animals, and I look forward to the day I next find myself in the water with them!
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