Crowd funding boosts drone patrols
Implementation will be reliant on funds being raised through the current campaign
THE Lindbergh Foundation’s Air Shepherd (LFAS) programme, developed to protect elephants and rhinos from poaching by using drones, has launched a new crowd funding campaign to increase the number of Air Shepherd teams across Africa.
The programme has expanded quickly since beginning operations in South Africa in December last year and has been launched in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in March this year.
An Air Shepherd drone team was launched in Malawi on 1 September and a new team has begun flying in Zimbabwe.
Both these operations are being funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Expanding the programme into other African countries are already being investigated, but implementation will be reliant on funds being raised through the current campaign.
Elephant census
The recently released Great Elephant Census (GEC) data has shown the urgency to increase the efforts of Air Shepherd teams.
Elephant numbers across several African countries are much lower than previously estimated.
Between 2007 and 2014 elephant populations plunged by at least 30% and in some areas by as much at 75%.
These majestic creatures often have their tusks hacked off while still alive.
Read the full story in the ZO Weekender.
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