When many think of drones they may think of Middle Eastern air strikes, smaller camera drones, or even attempts to utilize drones to make deliveries, but what if drones could be used to protect endangered wildlife?

That’s exactly what The Lindbergh Foundation’s Air Shepherd program has been designed to do, in an initiative that will provide assistance in protecting elephants and rhinos via a fleet of unnamed drones.

Starting in South Africa, Air Shepherd drone teams go through months of extensive training and are deployed to areas known for illegal poaching activities.

The drones themselves are infrared-capable and fly silently when poachers are active, meaning they are able to identify targets without being detected.

If a poacher is spotted, rangers are sent to the area to intercept them while the drones themselves can remain in the area and track the poachers should they attempt to flee; not only are the drones able to cover a far wider area than a ranger on foot, they are also safer as they prevent harm to the rangers themselves from poachers and from wild animals in the vicinity.

Extensive testing of the program has found that when the Air Shepherd drones are in the air, poachers in the most part stop poaching as they are worried they will be caught in the act.

“Air Shepherd teams are a highly effective tool that works in conjunction with other methods and capabilities to combat poaching,” the company explained in a statement sent to SiliconANGLE. “Many more teams are needed to address the wide-spread problem and Air Shepherd is therefore actively discussing expansion with officials in five other countries.

“We are thrilled that our drone teams are fully operational,” Lindbergh Foundation Chairman of the Board John Petersen added. “The poaching of wildlife has hit record highs and we have come to a critical juncture where action must be taken. Fortunately, many other African countries recognize this and have reached out to the Lindbergh Foundation with interest in implementing Air Shepherd pilot programs.”

Great use

The program uses a variety of different drone types, including custom-designed models that include at least two cameras (one infrared and one visible light), a GPS chip, and a navigation system, as suits the terrain they are flying with.

Their only downside so far is that they are only able to fly a maximum of two hours.

It’s a great use of modern drone technology to combat a multi-billion dollar illegal trade that puts many species at severe risk of extinction.

Air Shepherd is supported by the Charles A. & Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, the Peace Parks Foundation, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, and UAV & Drone Solutions.

More information on the program can be found here.

Image credit: 34731946@N00/Flickr/CC by 2.0