South Africa: How South Africans Are Using High-Tech to Rewrite the Rules of Wildlife Conservation

By Tony Carnie

South Africans are playing a pioneering role in harnessing drones, artificial intelligence and other digital tech tools to reshape wildlife conservation management -- and to reduce conflict between people and wildlife

Whether it's tracking down rhino poachers at night, pinpointing the nests of endangered vultures or shepherding crop-raiding elephants away from farmers' fields, South Africans are taking full advantage of advanced AI technology, drones and thermal imaging in conservation management projects across Africa.

Last year, South Africa-born conservationist and safari company owner Carel Verhoef deployed a small fleet of drones and ranger pilots to move a herd of 150 elephants -- at night, for 70km -- near the border between Tanzania and Kenya. He has also used drones to "buzz" predatory lions away from Maasai cattle bomas.

Closer to home, Johannesburg-based entrepreneur Willem Kellermann and his team of tech fundis at the Chisl/Veriphy AI group recently completed a major drone-based wildlife census covering more than 100,000 hectares in several private game reserves near Kruger National Park.

During the Project Gaia wildlife census in the Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Kwandwe and Karongwe reserves, Kellermann's team captured nearly three million high-resolution images (at a rate of five every 0.7 seconds), after which they used machine-learning technology and a battery of Nvidia graphics processing units to identify and map the precise location of more than 50 wildlife species.

In the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Park rhino-killing hotspot...

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