Earlier this year, Stanley, a feline Swindon resident, sparked a rescue mission when he disappeared from his family home. Concerned for the cat’s welfare, builders working at Stanley's house quickly turned their tools towards finding him. This included a thermal imaging camera usually deployed to locate damp patches. Thanks to the thermal camera, Stanley was eventually discovered sleeping soundly beneath the floorboards.[1]
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- Thermal Imaging Saves Sleeping Stanley
- Thermal Cameras Critical for Animal Rescue
- Thermal Cameras Suitable for Animal Rescue
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Thermal Imaging Saves Sleeping Stanley
Stanley, a sleepy ginger cat, instilled terror in his owners and the tradespeople working on their house when he disappeared for two days in May 2024. Panicked, one of the builders rang his uncle, Brendan O’Neill, asking to borrow his thermal imaging camera. The builder used it to check the walls and floors for a cat-shaped heat signature.
Brendan O’Neill explained that his nephew wanted:
“To make sure the cat wasn’t actually in the building work he was doing – I think he was worried he’d caused the cat’s demise unfortunately.
But after using the heat camera, he found him in the floor.
A plumber had done some work in the house and the cat had climbed down the hole and gone to sleep.”[2]
~ Brendan O'Neill
Hungry but unconcerned, Stanley was safely recovered from underneath the floor to the great relief of all involved.
Thermal Cameras Critical for Animal Rescue
This is not the first time thermal imaging has proven crucial to the safe retrieval of animals. This time last year we brought you the news that the RSPCA in North Harrow used a thermal camera to rescue a stray cat and her kittens from a loft. Then in February 2024, we reported that thermal imaging cameras and drones were deployed to track and recapture an escaped Japanese macaque in the Highlands of Scotland. You can read both stories below.
International Cat Day: Thermal Camera Used to Rescue Kittens
Thermal Cameras Help Locate Lovelorn Monkey
Thermal cameras have also been used in the quest to find the Loch Ness Monster. In fact, August 2023 saw the biggest collective effort to uncover the elusive cryptid in fifty years. Production company Dragonfly Films was part of the hunt. The company reckons it has captured the first thermal footage of Nessie. You can assess the integrity of this claim for yourself - click the link to the story below!
Thermal Imaging Cameras Integral in the Latest Hunt for Nessie
Thermal Cameras Suitable for Animal Rescue
Thermal imaging cameras capture infrared/heat energy. This data is converted into an image depicting thermal contrast or heat distribution across the scene. Thermal palettes indicate heat intensity, allowing you to see immediately the coldest and warmest areas. Consequently, this makes thermal imaging cameras perfect for locating, tracking, and recovering animals as they can detect and show the hotter body temperatures of creatures. This is especially useful when pinpointing fauna amongst dense flora or in total darkness.
At PASS Ltd, we stock a wide range of thermal imaging cameras by leading manufacturers such as FLIR, Guide, Hikmicro, and Pulsar, including models specifically optimised for outdoor and ecological applications. Please browse our extensive selection of thermal cameras below.
View Outdoor Thermal Imaging Cameras
Browse All Thermal Imaging Cameras
Further Information
For help or advice about using thermal imaging cameras for search and rescue or animal rescue, please contact our Sales team on 01642 931 329 or via our online form.
[1] Information about this story was gathered from the following source:
- Chris Lockyer, ‘Missing moggy found with thermal imaging’, BBC News, last accessed 07 August 2024.
[2] Chris Lockyer, ‘Missing moggy found with thermal imaging’.
