How are Drones being used to aid in Conservation?

How are Drones being used to aid in Conservation?

Very recently, unmanned air vehicles known as Drones have been widely discussed in the media. Originally used by the military as a means of surveillance, this technology has become very popular and can now be easily purchased by the common person, some for the surprisingly cheap price of £300. 

Although Drones are detested by many who are worried about Privacy violations at the hands of amateurs who have purchased the technology (no one wants a camera carrying Drone hovering by their bathroom window while they’re in the bath), Zoologists and conservationists have discovered ways Drones can be made useful.

Monitoring wildlife populations:

For Zoologists and conservationists who wish to study and monitor wild animal populations effectively, getting near enough to the organisms in question can be an incredibly difficult task, as disturbing them may affect behaviour, the health of the animals, and could also put the scientists involved in danger especially if the animals being studied are predators such as Lions or Alligators.
Therefore, with the use of Drones, animal populations can be watched from a high enough distance to not disturb them, allowing their numbers to be counted and/or the health and behaviour of the animals to be monitored.

Defending against Poachers:

Many wildlife populations such as Elephants, Rhinos and Pangolins are in constant threat by poachers who wish to sell wild animals for their meat, ivory or whatever else is of value to their customers.
Drones can be used to keep an eye on animal populations and possible poachers that may attempt to hunt them. The organisation “WWF” partakes in Drone use (funded by Google) to provide surveillance of endangered species, allowing the organisms to be protected from wildlife traffickers.

Ecological Surveys:

To study and conserve nature reserves and national parks, surveys of huge areas of land are required which is monumental task to take on by foot. However Drones provide a bird’s eye view of huge swathes of land allowing plant cover, water level fluctuations of lakes and rivers, forest clearance from loggers, ice cover and other environmental changes to be monitored more effectively and quickly.

So while Drones are gaining popularity among the technology nerds, and losing popularity among those with personal privacy in mind, they are nothing but good news for the health and well being of the Natural World.

-Thomas Glen

Photographer: unknown

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