Once seen as a source of alarm, drones (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs) are now proving to be surprisingly elephant-friendly and a valuable research tool.
Once seen as a source of alarm, drones (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs) are now proving to be surprisingly elephant-friendly and a valuable research tool. Previously, the use of drones in elephant conservation has mostly relied on their power to disturb: with their buzzing propellers, which can sound like a swarm of bees, elephants reliably run from drones, making them a useful tool to drive elephants from croplands.
But new research published by Oxford University and Save the Elephants (STE) has concluded that elephants can learn to ignore drones, particularly when they are flown in a way designed to minimise disturbance. Flying a drone high (120 metres or above), with a downwind approach and steadily caused minimal stress to the elephants, with only temporary changes seen in their behaviour, if at all.
Read More at: University of Oxford
Photo Credit: cocoparisienne via Pixabay
