60 AfricA speciAl SuStainability

Drones are already

being used to
monitor endangered
species in Nepal

Drone
With the worldwide trade in study carried out by the Wildlife “Given the overwhelming threat to
Conservation society, African forest
illegal ivory booming, many elephants, a species native to the Congo
elephants, rhinos and tigers – most threats
due to the illegal wildlife trade, WWF came
species are closer than ever to Basin, experienced a decline in population of up with a new approach: create an umbrella
extinction. Can drones help 62 per cent between 2002 and 2011. of technology to protect wildlife,” explains
authorities take on the fight elsewhere, rhinoceroses are similarly Crawford Allan, WWF’s expert on illegal
being driven to near extinction. A study wildlife trade.
against poachers? carried out by the International Union for “WWF will use its Global Impact Award
by Jason Goodyer Conservation of Nature found that poaching from Google to adapt and help governments
of the animals surged by 43 per cent between implement specialised aerial surveillance
For most people, mention of the word 2011 and 2012. last year, poachers killed 668 systems and affordable wildlife tagging
‘drone’ is likely to bring to mind images rhinos in south Africa, mainly in the Kruger technology, coupled with cost-effective
of Big Brother ‘eye in the sky’ spy planes, National park, which is home to the world’s ranger patrolling guided by analytical
sinister military airstrikes or even dystopian largest population of white rhino. software, to increase the detection and
terminator-style robot warfare. let’s face it, one of the primary reasons for this is the deterrence of poaching in four sites in Asia
drones, or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) booming ivory trade in Asia. Despite it being and Africa.”
as they are sometimes known, don’t exactly well known that rhino horn is made of
have the cuddliest of public images. keratin, the same substance found in human Animal surveillance
However, if the World Wildlife Fund hair and fingernails, many people across the charity aims to develop and test
(WWF) has any say, perceptions may soon be China and Vietnam believe it to be a panacea sophisticated but cost-effective and
changing. last December, the charity capable of curing everything from erectile easily-replicable systems built around four
received a $5m grant as part of Google’s dysfunction to cancer. main components: aerial surveillance,
PHOtOGRaPHS anD inFOGRaPHiC: WWF

Global Impact Awards – an initiative the As the demand for the powdered rhino animal tracking systems, ground patrols
search giant says “aims to support nonprofits horn and elephant ivory used in traditional and the logging and analysis of data on the
using technology and innovation to tackle herbal medicines increases so do the prices movements of both animals and poachers.
tough human challenges”. It intends to use the poachers can sell them for. the situation traditionally, rangers have relied on
this money to establish a network of is so dire now that the WWF estimates the ground patrols and location intelligence to
technologically advanced protective illegal wildlife trade is worth somewhere in combat poaching. However, the distances
measures to fight the increasing problem of the region of $7bn-10bn a year. As more and they cover are vast and the resources they
poaching across Africa, and drones are a more money is involved, the sophistication have to do it with are comparatively scarce.
central part of their plan. of the technology and methods employed by UAVs not only allow the rangers to safely and
A look at the statistics shows that the help the poachers similarly increases. But the cheaply view any illegal activities which may
cannot come quickly enough. According to a WWF is fighting back. be taking place on the ground, but also give

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 61
INFOGRAPHIC
HOW TO STOP WILDLIFE
AERIAL
SURVEYOR
CRIME WITH TECHNOLOGY

1. FLIGHT CONTROL 2. EYE IN THE SKY

The command centre
launches the aerial
survey systems, sets 1 2 The aerial survey systems
detects poachers and tagged
animals on the groud and
up the flight path and

COMMAND
3
CENTRE

3. ACTION
The mobile law enforcement units MOBILE LAW
deploy to the interception point using ENFORCEMENT
satelite coordinates, details and UNITS
POACHING TAGGED

Rangers
images of suspects from the command
centre and the aerial survey systems. GANGS ANIMAL

them easier, faster access to the often Park rangers on ideas, the initiative in Africa is not without
difficult terrain they are required to cover. ground patrol in precedent. Last year, WWF introduced UAVs
To coordinate these elements the charity Gabon on Africa’s to Bardia National Parks in Nepal. Like
west coast
plans to use a brand new piece of software, Africa, Nepal is home to a number of
the spatial monitoring and reporting tool endangered species prized by poachers
(SMART). Developed by a group of global thanks to the high prices their bones and
conservation agencies, SMART acts as a other parts command. Among these, tigers,
central control system to measure, evaluate elephants and rhinos are particularly prized
and guide enforcement patrols. The software and, sadly, also particularly vulnerable.
is open source, non-propriety, The UAVs used in this initiative were
highly-modifiable and available to the GPS-enabled FPV Raptors. These are
conservation community for free. It will inexpensive model planes often used by
incorporate intelligence gathering as well as hobby aircraft builders and radio control
patrol data, and it will use innovative ways to enthusiasts and are small and light enough to
aid conservation managers in strategic be launched by hand. They have a wingspan
enforcement planning. It is also available in of around two metres and fly at a maximum
the native languages of many end users. altitude of around 200 metres on a
Feeding into this system will be data gleaned pre-programmed route of 28km. Each flight
from animal tracking systems based on takes around 50 minutes and cameras fitted
mobile GSM technology, aerial surveillance on board can take both still and video images
from UAVs, and also from rangers working of the ground. The WWF plans to use more
on the ground. sophisticated models in Africa.
“Basically, the animal tracking system It’s clear that initiatives like this may not
will help us know where the animals are,” be enough on their own to save some species.
says Allan. “The aerial vehicle will help to Groups such as the WWF need to work with
detect poachers, particularly at night, and governments in Africa and Asia to improve
the SMART system will allow for decisions to education, tighten border controls and
be made to deploy wildlife rangers and develop other new technologies to combat the
law enforcement in the most cost illegal wildlife trade as a whole. But despite
effective and safe way to the many bleak statistics, hope remains for
intercept and deter poachers the world’s fauna: Bardia National Park in
based on a range of analytics.” Nepal recently reported a positive increase
Despite many forward-thinking in its tiger population. *

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