NDLI: Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems as a Rhinoceros Anti-Poaching Tool in Africa

Content Provider	PubMed Central
Author	Margarita, Mulero-pázmány Stolper, Roel Essen, L. D. Van Negro, Juan J. Sassen, Tyrell
Editor	Suleman, Hussein
Copyright Year	2014
Abstract	Over the last years there has been a massive increase in rhinoceros poaching incidents, with more than two individuals killed per day in South Africa in the first months of 2013. Immediate actions are needed to preserve current populations and the agents involved in their protection are demanding new technologies to increase their efficiency in the field. We assessed the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to monitor for poaching activities. We performed 20 flights with 3 types of cameras: visual photo, HD video and thermal video, to test the ability of the systems to detect (a) rhinoceros, (b) people acting as poachers and (c) to do fence surveillance. The study area consisted of several large game farms in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The targets were better detected at the lowest altitudes, but to operate the plane safely and in a discreet way, altitudes between 100 and 180 m were the most convenient. Open areas facilitated target detection, while forest habitats complicated it. Detectability using visual cameras was higher at morning and midday, but the thermal camera provided the best images in the morning and at night. Considering not only the technical capabilities of the systems but also the poacherś modus operandi and the current control methods, we propose RPAS usage as a tool for surveillance of sensitive areas, for supporting field anti-poaching operations, as a deterrent tool for poachers and as a complementary method for rhinoceros ecology research. Here, we demonstrate that low cost RPAS can be useful for rhinoceros stakeholders for field control procedures. There are, however, important practical limitations that should be considered for their successful and realistic integration in the anti-poaching battle.
Related Links	http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083873
Starting Page	83873
File Format	PDF
ISSN	19326203
e-ISSN	19326203
Journal	PLoS ONE
Issue Number	1
Volume Number	9
Language	English
Publisher	Public Library of Science
Publisher Date	2014-01-01
Access Restriction	Open
Rights Holder	Public Library of Science
Subject Keyword	Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all) Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all) Medicine(all) Research in Higher Education
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Multidisciplinary

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Python as a Federation Tool for GENESIS 3.0

The Growth of Easements as a Conservation Tool

Anthropogenic Influences on Conservation Values of White Rhinoceros

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Storytelling as a Communication Tool

Triglyceride/HDL Ratio as a Screening Tool for Predicting Success at Reducing Anti-Diabetic Medications Following Weight Loss

Functional Group and Substructure Searching as a Tool in Metabolomics

The origins of stone tool technology in Africa: a historical perspective

Citizen Science as a New Tool in Dog Cognition Research

Effectiveness of Journal Ranking Schemes as a Tool for Locating Information

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems as a Rhinoceros Anti-Poaching Tool in Africa

Similar Documents

Python as a Federation Tool for GENESIS 3.0

The Growth of Easements as a Conservation Tool

Anthropogenic Influences on Conservation Values of White Rhinoceros

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Storytelling as a Communication Tool

Triglyceride/HDL Ratio as a Screening Tool for Predicting Success at Reducing Anti-Diabetic Medications Following Weight Loss

Functional Group and Substructure Searching as a Tool in Metabolomics

The origins of stone tool technology in Africa: a historical perspective

Citizen Science as a New Tool in Dog Cognition Research

Effectiveness of Journal Ranking Schemes as a Tool for Locating Information

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems as a Rhinoceros Anti-Poaching Tool in Africa