The drones are on the way to help save wildlife!

The drones are on the way to help save wildlife!

A couple months back we struck an amazing deal to get drones to the front lines of the Rhino crisis.

Due to the new laws in South Africa we had some serious setbacks. We had drones far more capable than the legal boundaries for private (non military) flight. Regardless of the new laws the #3DR solo drone can be used as a tactical advantage drone for operators in the field or from a field station.

Reading about drone testing for anti poaching in the May 2014 newspaper for the Great Kruger Valley

They will add extra coverage to patrols, increase efficiency, increase information collection and increase ranger safety when heading into dangerous situations.

These drones have 4K imagery, GoPro, live time full HD viewing and you can record via your handheld remote.

This was all made possible from #FlashlightFoods. 6 drones will be going to teams in Africa. Please join me in giving them a huge thank you for their dedication to conservation!!!

It is important to remember there is not a ‘fix all’ cure to the poaching crisis. Drones won’t be the cure all/fix all. There has to be a full tool box available for Anti Poaching Rangers. It is better to have options than to be left behind.

Examples for drone use and anti poaching patrols;

• If a unit is chasing live “spoor”(poacher tracks) and the general direction appears to cross over a hill or through a river with dangerous animals a simple flight can determine that you are on the correct path. This can save vital time in a time for pursuit.
• Suspicious activities, vehicles or suspected poaching activity can be investigated even if the team is not physically present yet. Getting eyes on the situation can help the rangers determine how they react, or not, to the situation.
• The ranger teams can get immediate eyes on their rhinos in a simple flight. Whether there is concern or just information for accurate team placement.
• In a situation when APU Rangers are moving in to apprehend the armed poachers. The drone can hover/circle/follow providing the poachers with live feed, watching them and relaying info about the movement of the poachers to the capture team.
• With road blocks it is common to have suspects break away once they realize they have come to a mandatory inspection point. The drone can be launched and record images of their faces, vehicle make, model and license plate. This can fill the gap for the time for the Anti poaching Rangers to get to their vehicles and respond. Even if they get away at that moment they can be tracked down later.

At the end of the day if a drone can save the life of a wild animal or an Anti Poaching Ranger, it is worth it. The drones are replaceable, life is not.