General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSome encouraging anti-poaching news!
(copied from The Elephant Sanctuary newsletter)
In early February, The Sanctuary hosted AfricaASAP, a non-profit organization with a mission to stop the poaching of African elephants and other vulnerable species with near-continuous aerial surveillance of the protected areas where they live. The group flew an airplane 6500 feet above The Elephant Sanctuary to test how FLIR Systems aerial surveillance equipment can track elephant herds over vast areas, patrol park boundaries, and locate and stop poaching incursions.
During the fly-over, the crew utilized FLIR equipment to track moving vehicles, spot a controlled campfire, and observe Shirley and the other elephants as they traveled through their Sanctuary habitats - simulating real-life scenarios AfricaASAP may encounter in Africa.
Once the project is fully-funded, AfricaASAP will deploy the first airship-based wildlife surveillance system in a national park in Africa. For the first time, park rangers will have a near constant "eye in the sky" above the park they are charged with protecting. Patrolling tens of thousands of square miles every day, the airship will send real-time HD video data to a ground station for monitoring. Based on the information received, Rapid Response Teams can be deployed to protect elephants and other wildlife being hunted by poachers.
Hooray! Some good news for a change!!
Takket
(21,677 posts)hope it works.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)And hopefully the airplane/drone, whatever, is too high to be shot down.
good to know that technology is available to help, tho.
dameatball
(7,402 posts)wendyb-NC
(3,344 posts)Heartening to hear some positive developments about endangered species, which are threatened on so many fronts in their dwindling habitats, already.
emmaverybo
(8,144 posts)and rights resides. Not for lack of industry or care on the part of activists and their supporters, but just that the threat to animal life, the cruelty, is so pervasive.
Ramsey Barner
(349 posts)Coventina
(27,223 posts)MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)K&R
Ferrets are Cool
(21,112 posts)divert some of the funds meant for killing people to save wildlife. Yeah, I live in a fantasy world.