In a bid to counter the rampant poaching of the African elephant, Bathawk Recon, a Tanzanian-registered company that strives to stem the menace through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has partnered with US-based Martin UAV in an initiative to protect the majestic pachyderm.
The consortium’s Super Bat DA 50 long-endurance UAV not only allows access to remote elephant habitats. It also reduces the negative impacts of other more intrusive anti-poaching approaches have on animal habitats.
In addition, the technology-based approach provides both public and private wildlife management and conservation stakeholders with a cost-effective and innovative solution that, coupled with the experience of the on-the-ground Africa-based Bathawk leadership team, creates an unrivalled anti-poaching solution.
Over the past two years, Martin UAV’s complete hardware, service, training and research and development solutions have allowed the consortium, in partnership with Elephant Survival Organization, to conduct surveillance trials in the field that have resulted in Bathawk Recon shortlisting the Super Bat DA 50 long-endurance UAV.
The unmanned aerial vehicle operates with video and an infrared-camera system that feeds data back to the ground station from up to 30 kilometres in real time with minimal to no intrusion to the animals or environment.
In addition, the UAV technology offers effective wildlife mapping and census solutions that enable Bathawk Recon to not only track but also aggregate animal data that can be used by specialists to develop long-term solutions that deter poaching and human-animal conflict, while monitoring wildlife wellbeing in Africa.
The tragic death of British helicopter pilot Roger Gower, who early last year, was gunned down while tracking elephant poachers in Maswa Game Reserve near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is a clear indication that poachers consider human life secondary to their activities. Unmanned aerial vehicles will help conservation efforts without putting human lives at risk.
The consortium’s Super Bat DA 50 long-endurance UAV’s speed, 10-hour flight time capability, video imagery and sensors, flight height, fuel efficiency and telemetry limit allows Bathawk Recon to provide conservationists, environmentalists and local and international governments with a safer and customized anti-poaching solution that lightens the financial load currently facing African governments.
