Turning To Drones For Wildlife Help

in #animals6 years ago

It's estimated that one elephant is killed in Africa by poachers every 14 minutes.

This amounts to roughly 27,000 that are slaughtered on a yearly basis. And according to a 2016 report, that was published in the journal PeerJ, the Savanna elephants from Africa alone are seeing roughly an 8 percent decline in population annually.

The countries with the greatest decline in that elephant population have been Tanzania, Chad, Cameroon, and Mozambique.

Though not every area has seen a similar steady decline, some have stable or have even seen growing herds, like in South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda.

To try and find a solution to the problem, a growing number of anti-poaching groups have turned to using drone technology to assist them in their endeavors.

Drones have been an effective and helpful tool in assisting with observation of animals in their natural habitats, helping to monitor expansive land areas that are difficult for human patrols to cover.

One specific drone that's been employed to help is the Bathawk that is made by a South African company known as UAV Drone Solutions.

The Bathawk drone is able to fly for roughly 2.5 hours, over game reserves and national parks, and has already been assisting anti-poaching efforts in Africa for several years now.

Though there are many drones being used to help with anti-poaching efforts in various countries right now, not everyone is convinced yet that they are going to be useful. Researchers suggest that elephants hate drones. And they've been seen to notice drones even if those drones are flying anywhere from 25 to 300 feet above them. And when they do notice them, they have been known to become agitated or run off. According to researchers from Duke University, one elephant who was with her baby tried to use her trunk to sling mud in the direction of the drone.

Despite researchers finding that the elephants became annoyed under certain circumstances, they still suggest that there might be different results seen when using different drones; others might be less likely to annoy the animals. And no doubt there are some anti-poaching cases that have claimed to see drones provide tremendous value to their efforts.

It's alleged that since the Bathawk has been employed to help with the anti-poaching efforts in Africa, that they've seen a drastic decline in poaching; the drones have especially proven to be highly effective when used at night.

Those behind the drone projects insist that the data collection they offer is the most effective way at trying to tackle the poaching crisis. The drones are credited with being a highly effective tool that can track and record poachers. And the program that's being tested by UAV Drone Solutions is alleged to be the first systematic evaluation of the potential for drone technology to help in combating poachers in the region.

Using the drones to help with anti-poaching efforts is also just one way that they are being used to help with wildlife conservation efforts. Drones are also being used to watch and track whale migrations, arctic polar bears, rhinos, and more.

Pics:
Pixabay
giphy
via Martin UAV
pixabay

Sources:
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/can-these-drones-save-elephants-extinction-ncna820441
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/08/wildlife-african-elephants-population-decrease-great-elephant-census/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/drone360/2017/10/04/polar-bear-drone/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/science/drones-africa-poachers-wildlife.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/05/elephant-vs-drone/481701/
https://www.popsci.com/noaa-tracks-whales-drones

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How people can hurt an animal is difficult for me to understand, have these people not got hearts or feelings, breaks my heart. Shame these drones weren't supplied with guns and shoot the B***ards

@karenb54 You have put my thoughts into words perfectly! They should use those armed drones that they use in the army to kill any one who poses a threat to our gentle giants or any other innocent animals!

Its one way of stopping them, its what they deserve.

Looks like a decent application of the technology to protect an endangered species. The better they can monitor animal activities and poaching, the better. Thanks for sharing this article, it's good to see that drones aren't just responsible for atrocities.

I was not aware that drones were used for this purpose. Thanks for enlightening me, @doitvolutnatily .

But the statistics around hunting elephants still makes me horribly sad.

x

like many things in this world drone are a neutral force. They are not going away. They can be used for good as in this post. They can also be used for more sinister purposes as in big brother or stalking your ex-wife. I think there is a concern out there that sometimes this much power can get into the wrong hands. Think of how excited Hitler or Stalin would be if they had drones in their day. OH MY! However for the purposes of conservation as in this post or to deliver pizza on a cold winter's night it is wonderful! Thanks for an informative an intriguing post!

I'd like to see animals helped in ways like this.

I thought of you the other day, actually. On the radio locally they were talking about using drones, with heat seeking capabilities to fly over the Toronto / GTA areas to detect people who were travelling in the HOV lanes in their cars, illegally with dummies in their cars to see if they really had more than just one live person in the car taking advantage of the "system"

-- I usually think of you when certain stuff comes up in my life now I figure you would like or do a good write up on LOL or things we have talked about.

#Gubment

--

Have a good rest of your week dude. There is a post up with me climbing a mountain by you today!

Wow one every 14 minutes... didn't know it was that bad. Drones to the rescue!

The Truth is rough.

Can't change something with words.

The world needs to action for a change they want to see.

elephant are incredible creature I can not understand anyone who would want to kill them! sick sick people. They should put tranquilliser darts on the drones and shoot the poachers see how they like it and fair up without their big guns!

@vibeof100monkeys did you see that Trump has just lifted a elephant trophy ban! That's the last thing we need in this time of crises. Now we not only have to fight poachers but also these rich blood thirsty bastards!

He's a twat, excuse my language. It makes me mad killing animal just to boost their ego because they are so insecure in themselves, pathetic excuse for humans!

In my country too this is a similar case regarding one-horned rhino and tigers which are decreasing day by day . This drone certainly might do the job.

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