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Researchers at the University of B.C. have learned how some mammals cope in disasters like flooding, which may provide a glimpse into which animals will survive climate change-related disasters in future.
The Princeton University-led study is the first time that scientists have tracked the real-time responses of large mammals to a natural disaster, said Kaitlyn Gaynor, an assistant professor of zoology and botany at UBC.
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Cyclone Idai, which tore through Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park in the spring of 2019, was the deadliest storm in Africa’s history. Many animals in the park died but some larger mammals survived.
Princeton researchers collaborated with scientists from around the world to document the animals using trail cameras—provided by UBC— and animal-tracking devices. Using the technology, researchers were able to watch live how the storm affected the animals.
A study on that research was published this week in the journal Nature.
“Animals that are larger bodied and could move quickly to other areas to get out of the way of disaster like elephants, for example, moved ahead of the flooding,” said Gaynor. “They also had larger fat stores to rely on so they were not hit as hard by the sudden loss of food resources.”
With climate change, scientists predict more frequent and extreme weather disasters, and the smaller species, those that rely on more specialized resources, stick to smaller areas, and don’t have as much flexibility in their behaviour are going to be less able to respond to changes in their environment and survive, she said.
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For example, before the cyclone bushbuck antelope were abundant in the park.
“Just driving around, you would see them everywhere. And after the flood, we followed them. Seven of the animals had GPS collars, and three of them died. And as the floodwaters rose many more died as a result of inadequate food. Now these animals are much harder to come by than they used to be.”
The population of oribi, a very small antelope, declined by 50 per cent, according to the study, as did the reedbucks, a slightly larger type of antelope.
But it’s not just body size. Survival will also depend on what food they eat and rely on, and how quickly they can reproduce. Lions, for example, fared better because warthogs, which are their major food source, stayed in the uplands and were mostly unaffected by the cyclone, according to the researchers.
“If a species was already really rare, it’s much more likely to just get completely wiped out. Whereas a species that’s quite abundant, that population as a whole might be able to withstand loss. So there are a lot of different factors,” said Gaynor.
While the research was conducted in Africa, Gaynor said this type of study could be useful here in B.C. to understand which species will have a better chance of surviving climate disasters.
“We are also seeing a rise in extreme weather events, with heat domes and more flooding and, of course, wildfires. And in all of these cases, we have wildlife species that are responding to these disturbances,” she said. “And I think that a key takeaway of this study in Mozambique that really applies anywhere around the world, is that there will be winners and losers in terms of how animals fare.”
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