Tue, Dec 06, 2016
Will Use Company's Quadcopters For Operations In Africa
The Lindbergh Foundation’s Air Shepherd program, developed to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching by using drones, today announced its partnership with drone manufacturer DJI.
The operations are a collaborated effort with African Parks, the non-profit conservation organization that is jointly operating the drone project on the ground in Liwonde National Park and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve; two of three parks it manages in partnership with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).
Along with Phantom 4 drones, the Air Shepherd team is using the standard Phantom camera for day flights and a thermal camera at night to address the following poaching issues.
- Meat poaching – monitor for poachers who kill and dismember an animal and remove it from the park.
- Human elephant conflict (HEC) – prevent elephants from breaking down fences surrounding villages in order to protect them from being shot and/or killed by villagers.
- Elephant herding – elephants are herded back to the park after breaking through fences
- Fence patrol – detect broken or breached fences
- Illegal fishing – identify fish poachers who travel by boat and by foot
“Drones add value to a countless number of applications from farming to search-and-rescue,” said Caroline Briggert, head of stakeholder relations, DJI. “We are very proud to be partnering with Air Shepherd, an organization that is leading the way in how drones are being integrated into conservation, making park rangers and researchers work smarter, safer, and more efficient. Drones give a better situational awareness of where the animals are and how they are doing—all in a non-intrusive manner to minimize stress levels.”
The Lindbergh Foundation’s Air Shepherd program is proving to be highly effective with drone teams flying in South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe. UAV and Drone Solutions, Lindbergh Foundation’s principal partner, operates Air Shepherd drones at night when poachers are active—making it one of the most successful operations to combat poaching.
“We are thrilled to have the support from DJI,” said Otto Werdmuller Von Elgg, head of drone operations for Air Shepherd. “The drones they manufacture allow us to target varying issues involving animal poaching and human elephant conflict. Their ease-of-use and high quality make them best in class.”
(Source: Air Shepherd news release)
More News
Chaff Thin, narrow metallic reflectors of various lengths and frequency responses, used to reflect radar energy. These reflectors, when dropped from aircraft and allowed to drift d>[...]
“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947. I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding>[...]
“Teaming up with the EAA and Berlin Express for this event in Cincinnati will give warbird fans a unique opportunity to see the aircraft that helped defend freedom and gave t>[...]
Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot>[...]
Aero Linx: The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission The Nebraska Aeronautics Commission was created by the 1935 Legislature to oversee the development of aviation in the state. The Comm>[...]