Unmanned aerial vehicles for wildlife protection: a technological solution to combat poaching
Poachers have radically reduced biodiversity on Earth. At the moment, poaching is one of the five largest international crime syndicates. The turnover from their activities is estimated to be $14 billion per year if we consider the average value for countries around the world.
Poachers are a widespread and organized network of criminals. Therefore, national parks and wildlife reserves cannot effectively protect themselves against them.
In this article, we will look at a new technology for preventing poaching — Anti-Poaching Drones. Let's explore how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used to monitor, detect, and prevent illegal poaching activities.
Poachers are a widespread and organized network of criminals. Therefore, national parks and wildlife reserves cannot effectively protect themselves against them.
In this article, we will look at a new technology for preventing poaching — Anti-Poaching Drones. Let's explore how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used to monitor, detect, and prevent illegal poaching activities.
The growing threat of poaching and the need for innovation in environmental technologies
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), poaching is one of the main reasons for the decline of populations of many animal species. In addition, poaching contributes to criminal activity, weakening international security and corrupting officials.
Over the past century, poachers have radically reduced biodiversity on Earth. The population of African elephants decreased from 3-5 million individuals to 400 thousand. The number of tigers decreased to 3900. All rhinoceros species are under threat due to hunting for their horns. In South Africa, 80% of the world's rhinoceroses live, and poachers killed 231 in six months, including 185 in national parks.
At present, national parks, reserves, private sanctuaries, and forest areas around the world are unable to ensure the safety of animals. Despite the efforts of environmental protection organizations and law enforcement agencies, poaching continues to occur.
At present, national parks, reserves, private sanctuaries, and forest areas around the world are unable to ensure the safety of animals. Despite the efforts of environmental protection organizations and law enforcement agencies, poaching continues to occur.
The reasons why nature reserves and national parks cannot stop poaching
We can identify 5 main reasons why nature reserves and national parks face problems in protecting wildlife:
1.Vast Areas
The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area spans lands in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, covering 444,000 km2. This area is almost equal to the size of Morocco. Naturally, conducting quality monitoring over such an enormous area is challenging.
2.Landscape Complexity
Dense vegetation, mountain ranges, and water barriers complicate patrolling in many nature reserves.
3.Staff Shortage
According to WWF, in many African reserves, one ranger may be responsible for patrolling up to 100 km² of territory.
4.Financial Constraints
Studies show that effective protection of endangered species requires about $4.76 billion per year, which significantly exceeds current expenditures.
5.Limitations of Traditional Anti-Poaching Methods
Traditional conservation methods include ground patrols by rangers, setting up observation posts, and physical barriers. Unfortunately, they have significant limitations – slow response time, limited visibility, and ineffectiveness at night.
According to the International Ranger Federation (IRF), since 2009, more than 870 rangers have died in the line of duty while protecting wildlife. In attempting to protect animals, they lost their own lives.
Under these circumstances, the need to implement innovative technologies for wildlife protection is evident. Unmanned aerial vehicles for nature conservation will open up new opportunities for national parks and reserves in the fight against poaching.
1.Vast Areas
The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area spans lands in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, covering 444,000 km2. This area is almost equal to the size of Morocco. Naturally, conducting quality monitoring over such an enormous area is challenging.
2.Landscape Complexity
Dense vegetation, mountain ranges, and water barriers complicate patrolling in many nature reserves.
3.Staff Shortage
According to WWF, in many African reserves, one ranger may be responsible for patrolling up to 100 km² of territory.
4.Financial Constraints
Studies show that effective protection of endangered species requires about $4.76 billion per year, which significantly exceeds current expenditures.
5.Limitations of Traditional Anti-Poaching Methods
Traditional conservation methods include ground patrols by rangers, setting up observation posts, and physical barriers. Unfortunately, they have significant limitations – slow response time, limited visibility, and ineffectiveness at night.
According to the International Ranger Federation (IRF), since 2009, more than 870 rangers have died in the line of duty while protecting wildlife. In attempting to protect animals, they lost their own lives.
Under these circumstances, the need to implement innovative technologies for wildlife protection is evident. Unmanned aerial vehicles for nature conservation will open up new opportunities for national parks and reserves in the fight against poaching.
Implementation of drones as a powerful tool against poaching
What are anti-poaching drones
Anti-poaching drones are specialized unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with advanced technologies for monitoring and protecting wildlife.
Specialized drones for nature protection are less noisy compared to models equipped with internal combustion engines. These UAVs have a night vision function and can observe people and animals at night. The stations for such drones typically have a robust structure that is designed to withstand even acts of vandalism.
Often, specialized models such as the Microavia drone are equipped with AI and a zoom camera with stabilization. Thanks to these features, they can more effectively record animals or monitor humans. Our drone uses AI to send notifications when people and vehicles are detected. The tracking system simplifies the operator's work by keeping the target in sight, and data is instantly transmitted to the guard post in real time.
It is important to note that drones should be visible to poachers. The mere presence of drones in a national park has a positive effect on reducing their activity. For instance, the implementation of drones in Kruger National Park improved poacher detection. During a month of monitoring a trail used by poachers to enter the park, 55 intruders were detected. As a result, poaching activity decreased, as did attacks on animals.
Anti-poaching drones are specialized unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with advanced technologies for monitoring and protecting wildlife.
Specialized drones for nature protection are less noisy compared to models equipped with internal combustion engines. These UAVs have a night vision function and can observe people and animals at night. The stations for such drones typically have a robust structure that is designed to withstand even acts of vandalism.
Often, specialized models such as the Microavia drone are equipped with AI and a zoom camera with stabilization. Thanks to these features, they can more effectively record animals or monitor humans. Our drone uses AI to send notifications when people and vehicles are detected. The tracking system simplifies the operator's work by keeping the target in sight, and data is instantly transmitted to the guard post in real time.
It is important to note that drones should be visible to poachers. The mere presence of drones in a national park has a positive effect on reducing their activity. For instance, the implementation of drones in Kruger National Park improved poacher detection. During a month of monitoring a trail used by poachers to enter the park, 55 intruders were detected. As a result, poaching activity decreased, as did attacks on animals.
Key features and capabilities of UAVs for nature conservation
Let's examine the characteristics of a specialized UAV using the Anti-Poaching Drone by Microavia as an example:
Autonomous system
The drone from Microavia is an autonomous robotic system. No operator is required to work with it. The battery replacement is robotic, so the drone can operate 24/7. But there is also the possibility of manually controlling the drone through the UTM system.
Extended Range and Long Flight Time
The Microavia drone is always ready for a 45-minute continuous mission. Automatic battery replacement takes only 90 seconds, allowing the flight to last for hours.
High-tech Tools:
Modern drones include full-fledged equipment for detecting poachers. The UAV from Microavia has:
Autonomous system
The drone from Microavia is an autonomous robotic system. No operator is required to work with it. The battery replacement is robotic, so the drone can operate 24/7. But there is also the possibility of manually controlling the drone through the UTM system.
Extended Range and Long Flight Time
The Microavia drone is always ready for a 45-minute continuous mission. Automatic battery replacement takes only 90 seconds, allowing the flight to last for hours.
High-tech Tools:
Modern drones include full-fledged equipment for detecting poachers. The UAV from Microavia has:
- Water resistant camera with anti-fog and controllable zoom for round-the-clock monitoring and high-resolution photos.
- Thermal sensor — search & rescue operations universal device for locating animals in limited visibility and under vegetation.
Examples of data that can be obtained during the flight of a drone from Microavia through the territory of the national park.
Operation in Any Conditions
It is important for national parks to choose equipment suitable for their specific climate and landscape.
Microavia drones have been tested in real-world conditions ranging from -20°C to +50°C.
Integration with Other Company Systems and AI
The drone is easily integrated into the existing IT-infrastructure.The mission status and video stream will be broadcasted to the security post or any internal systems of the company. At the same time, employees' work will become easier thanks to the drone's ability to analyze large amounts of data in real-time.
It is important for national parks to choose equipment suitable for their specific climate and landscape.
Microavia drones have been tested in real-world conditions ranging from -20°C to +50°C.
Integration with Other Company Systems and AI
The drone is easily integrated into the existing IT-infrastructure.The mission status and video stream will be broadcasted to the security post or any internal systems of the company. At the same time, employees' work will become easier thanks to the drone's ability to analyze large amounts of data in real-time.
The benefits of using drone technology to fight poaching
The benefits of using drone technology to fight poaching
The introduction of UAVs in the field of nature conservation opens up new opportunities for effective anti-poaching efforts. Let's examine the key aspects in which drones significantly improve conservation activities.
Economic efficiency and resource optimization
The use of drones reduces patrolling costs and allows for monitoring significantly larger areas with the same human resources. In the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania the use of unmanned aerial vehicles has expanded the daily patrol area by several times. Drones can also be used to fly over difficult-to-access terrain, such as rainforests.
Economic efficiency and resource optimization
The use of drones reduces patrolling costs and allows for monitoring significantly larger areas with the same human resources. In the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania the use of unmanned aerial vehicles has expanded the daily patrol area by several times. Drones can also be used to fly over difficult-to-access terrain, such as rainforests.
To effectively monitor the territory of the 220 km² national park, only two points for Microavia drones are needed. Then, flights can be made continuously 24/7.
Rapid response to incidents and coordination of ground teams
Thermal imaging cameras on drones allow for detecting poachers even at night. And built-in drone loudspeakers help guide rangers to areas where suspicious activity is detected.
In Hwange National Park, in Zimbabwe, the introduction of a coordination system using unmanned aerial vehicles has increased the effectiveness of catching violators who poison reservoirs with cyanide from which elephants drink.
A Microavia drone can get to the scene of an incident much faster than security staff and see if additional intervention is needed. Fire detection is also made very easy.
Animal control and analysis of their behavior
UAVs help collect data on animal behavior without interfering with their natural habitat. With thermal sensor and high-resolution video camera in Microavia drones, counting animals at any time of the day or night anywhere in the park becomes very simple, with no need for human interaction on the ground. As all the information from any number of drones is fed into a single control center, tracking animal movements is also done autonomously.
In the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, drones are used to monitor the forest elephant population, which has improved census accuracy. Meanwhile, in Amboseli National Park, drones have helped study the social behavior of these animals, leading to better planning of protective measures.
Moreover, drones enable regular data collection on ecosystem conditions. This also helps evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures.
Thermal imaging cameras on drones allow for detecting poachers even at night. And built-in drone loudspeakers help guide rangers to areas where suspicious activity is detected.
In Hwange National Park, in Zimbabwe, the introduction of a coordination system using unmanned aerial vehicles has increased the effectiveness of catching violators who poison reservoirs with cyanide from which elephants drink.
A Microavia drone can get to the scene of an incident much faster than security staff and see if additional intervention is needed. Fire detection is also made very easy.
Animal control and analysis of their behavior
UAVs help collect data on animal behavior without interfering with their natural habitat. With thermal sensor and high-resolution video camera in Microavia drones, counting animals at any time of the day or night anywhere in the park becomes very simple, with no need for human interaction on the ground. As all the information from any number of drones is fed into a single control center, tracking animal movements is also done autonomously.
In the Dzanga-Sangha Reserve, drones are used to monitor the forest elephant population, which has improved census accuracy. Meanwhile, in Amboseli National Park, drones have helped study the social behavior of these animals, leading to better planning of protective measures.
Moreover, drones enable regular data collection on ecosystem conditions. This also helps evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures.
Enhancing the Safety of Rangers and Wildlife
- The use of drones for initial surveys of potentially dangerous areas reduces the risk for rangers.In Kruger National Park, this has led to a reduction in the number of incidents involving personnel.
- UAVs allow for non-invasive monitoring of animals. Scientists can observe animals without causing them discomfort. In Virunga National Park, this observation method has helped reduce disturbance to mountain gorillas.
- Rapid response to emergencies. Drones can quickly detect injured animals or those caught in poachers' traps. This has already increased the number of rescued animals in Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve.
Legal and ethical aspects of using drones for wildlife protection
Despite numerous advantages, the implementation of drone technology in conservation activities comes with a set of challenges. The key challenge is legislative complexity. For instance, in 65% of countries, special permission is required to use drones for conservation purposes.
Coordination with aviation authorities is also necessary. In Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, it took 6 months to obtain all the necessary permits for regular drone flights.
For reserves located on the borders of several countries, international coordination is required. However, there are already successful cases worldwide: for example, the gorilla conservation project in the Virunga region, covering territories in the DR Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
It's also important to consider the interests of communities living near protected areas. Preliminary consultations with local residents have significantly increased support for the unmanned aerial vehicle program in Ruaha National Park.
Coordination with aviation authorities is also necessary. In Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, it took 6 months to obtain all the necessary permits for regular drone flights.
For reserves located on the borders of several countries, international coordination is required. However, there are already successful cases worldwide: for example, the gorilla conservation project in the Virunga region, covering territories in the DR Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
It's also important to consider the interests of communities living near protected areas. Preliminary consultations with local residents have significantly increased support for the unmanned aerial vehicle program in Ruaha National Park.
AI and Advanced Technologies in Drones Against Poaching
The development of technology opens up new possibilities for using drones in the fight against poaching. Let's consider the most promising directions:
1. Pattern recognition. Machine learning algorithms allow drones to automatically identify animals and humans.
2. Recognition of animals, plants, people and vehicles. This feature enables, for example, the creation of a library of photographs and videos of mammals, reptiles, birds, and plants that are constantly updated.
3. Big data analysis. The use of big data algorithms helps to identify long-term trends and optimize wildlife conservation strategies.
1. Pattern recognition. Machine learning algorithms allow drones to automatically identify animals and humans.
2. Recognition of animals, plants, people and vehicles. This feature enables, for example, the creation of a library of photographs and videos of mammals, reptiles, birds, and plants that are constantly updated.
3. Big data analysis. The use of big data algorithms helps to identify long-term trends and optimize wildlife conservation strategies.
Implementing drone technology for a sustainable future in wildlife conservation: key takeaways
The use of drones in combating poaching is a revolutionary approach to nature conservation. Despite existing challenges, the potential of this technology is immense. Combining UAVs with advanced AI technologies, IoT, and big data analytics opens new horizons in wildlife protection.
The implementation of drone technology is not just a technical solution, but a comprehensive approach to preserving our planet's biodiversity for future generations.
- Drones complement traditional conservation methods, creating a more effective and comprehensive protection system.
- The use of UAVs significantly expands surveillance and monitoring capabilities, especially in vast and hard-to-reach areas.
- Drone technology provides faster response to poaching incidents, increasing the chances of preventing crimes against wildlife.
- The implementation of drones is cost-effective, optimizes resource use, and enhances safety for both reserve staff and wildlife.
- Successful implementation of drone technology requires a comprehensive approach, including staff training, adaptation of legislation, and international cooperation.
The implementation of drone technology is not just a technical solution, but a comprehensive approach to preserving our planet's biodiversity for future generations.
FAQ about Implementing Drones for Wildlife Protection
- Government conservation organizations.
- National parks and nature reserves.
- Private game reserves and hunting grounds.
- Environmental NGOs and foundations.
- Research institutes engaged in wildlife conservation.
- International environmental protection organizations (e.g., WWF).
- Forestry services.
- Fishery protection services.
- Coast guard services.
- Police and other law enforcement agencies.
Staff. Drone management and maintenance require a team, including drone operators, technicians, and data analysis. Training and training of employees is also required to create a headquarters responsible for coordinating the work of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Equipment. In addition to drones, you will need charging stations, flight control software, data analysis software, spare batteries, sensors, and cameras.
Communication infrastructure. It is necessary to ensure stable and fast data connections between drones and the central control system using mobile networks, satellite communications, or other data transmission technologies.
Equipment. In addition to drones, you will need charging stations, flight control software, data analysis software, spare batteries, sensors, and cameras.
Communication infrastructure. It is necessary to ensure stable and fast data connections between drones and the central control system using mobile networks, satellite communications, or other data transmission technologies.
Most existing drone systems require at least 35-60 min to recharge batteries after each flight. This can be a critical drawback in situations where continuous surveillance or emergency response is required.
Unlike these systems, Microavia’s drone-in-a-box system provides for automatic battery swapping, allowing the drone to return to operation almost instantly after a quick battery change for 90 seconds. The battery swapping functionality significantly reduces the drone’s downtime to a minimum increasing the overall monitoring efficiency.
Unlike these systems, Microavia’s drone-in-a-box system provides for automatic battery swapping, allowing the drone to return to operation almost instantly after a quick battery change for 90 seconds. The battery swapping functionality significantly reduces the drone’s downtime to a minimum increasing the overall monitoring efficiency.
The capabilities of drones vary in this regard. Microavia drones have been tested in real-world conditions ranging from -20°C to +50°C .
The project implementation includes the following stages:
1. Needs analysis and planning.
2. Demo flight and familiarization with the software at the site in Dubai.
3. Proof of Concept — testing at the client's facility.
4. Selection of equipment and technologies for the client's tasks.
5. Conclusion of the contract.
6. Production.
7. Staff training.
8. Deployment and integration.
9. Regular maintenance and updates.
1. Needs analysis and planning.
2. Demo flight and familiarization with the software at the site in Dubai.
3. Proof of Concept — testing at the client's facility.
4. Selection of equipment and technologies for the client's tasks.
5. Conclusion of the contract.
6. Production.
7. Staff training.
8. Deployment and integration.
9. Regular maintenance and updates.
If you have any questions, please submit a request, and our team will get back to you shortly
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