UAV TRIALS OVER OL PEJETA PREPARE THE WAY FOR FULL TIME AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
(Posted 05th February 2014)
Feedback from the trial flights of a prototype UAV, commonly called a drone, over the sprawling Ol Pejeta Conservancy is very encouraging it was learned, suggesting that aerial surveillance will later this year become a regular feature in order to protect the over 130 rhinos (Eastern Black, Southern White and Northern White) on the conservancy, but also elephant and other species in demand by poachers. The need to be cost effective when operating such aerial devices came fully into play as Airware had prepared a software package which allows non pilots to actually operate the UAV’s through a user interface, eliminating the need to employ qualified pilots and yet getting real time surveillance pictures from the ground, which includes thermal imaging at night, allowing to spot illegal movements.
(Pictures from left to right show the thermal image of a lone elephant, the two ‘control centre’ laptops and Ol Pejeta’s CEO Richard Vigne, Robert Breare and other Ol Pejeta / KWS staff following the flight of a drone on line)
When visiting Ol Pejeta late last year, both Richard and Robert emphasized that a number of technical issues still needed to be resolved, like making the device sturdier to withstand the impact of hot weather, dust and often uneven landing terrain but the test flights do suggest that much progress was made since then. With key permissions by the Kenyan government in place already, the deployment of Kenya’s first UAV in the service of both anti poaching intelligence gathering but also the overall monitoring of game migration patterns and game numbers is now only a matter of months away.
The Kenya Wildlife Service, and other conservancies and private sanctuaries too, are reportedly closely monitoring developments at Ol Pejeta in order to then decide on the purchase of their own UAV’s, which for once would put law enforcement and anti poaching ahead of the poachers who for years were outfoxing rangers through the use of sophisticated communications equipment. Together with regular ground patrols and in the case of Ol Pejeta a rapid deployment unit which can be airlifted by helicopter to intercept suspected poachers, the use of state of the art drones, providing real time images from the ground, will provide a serious deterrent against poachers who when caught can now face up to life prison terms, fines of over 230.000 US Dollars, and worse when stupid enough to engage the ranger force in a fire fight.
Visit www.olpejetaconservancy.org for more details on what is happening on Kenya’s leading conservancy.
