OLYMPIA –Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff and researchers will fly drones over known pygmy rabbit locations on state and federal lands. Flights will also take place over selected private lands (with landowner permission) in Grant and Douglas counties. All flights will follow FAA regulations outlined by Part 107.
Flights will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are anticipated to take place throughout the project timeline beginning December 2024 through October 2026. Flights are expected to correspond with WDFW’s current field surveys for pygmy rabbits. Flights will depend on weather conditions and suitable flight conditions.
The purpose of the flights is to test drone and sensor capabilities and effectiveness for tracking pygmy rabbit distribution and numbers in snowy conditions. Researchers will also use the drones to help determine the survival rate of reintroduced animals.
Drone imagery has the potential to gather species distribution data in a safer and more efficient way than current methods.
The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is one of the smallest rabbit species in North America and faces significant conservation challenges in Washington. Listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the pygmy rabbit’s survival is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation as shrubsteppe areas. To support population recovery, WDFW has implemented a reintroduction program that uses semi-wild breeding enclosures to produce juveniles for release into carefully selected, suitable habitats. Essential to these efforts are habitat corridors—densely vegetated pathways that connect critical areas and allow pygmy rabbits to safely move between them.
For more on pygmy rabbit recovery efforts, visit WDFW’s pygmy rabbit page.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.
