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)

FMI: https://www.indiegogo.com/at/as16, www.AirShepherd.org, www.african-parks.org