In May 2019, cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Under normal circumstances, this would have been yet another devastating natural disaster.

However, this time, Princeton researchers had already installed trail cameras and animal-tracking devices in the location brimming with wildlife. This allowed them to investigate the phenomenon and draw some very interesting conclusions on how animals survive climate emergencies.

Real-time responses

“This is the first study that has ever been able to track the real-time responses of a large-mammal community to a natural disaster,” said Robert Pringle, a Department of Ecology and Environmental Biology professor who has worked with Gorongosa National Park since it was established.