Eyes In the Sky Drone Technology

Friday 26 January 2024

Eyes in the Sky Expansion

Helping Rhinos is proud to provide an 'Eyes in the Sky' programme in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in partnership with the African Rhino Conservation Collaboration (ARCC). The programme includes the fixed wing aircraft piloted by Siseko Mayinje, a member of the local community who combines his two passions flying and wildlife conservation.

We are thrilled that this programme has now expanded with the introduction of a state of the art drone.

The deployment of the DJI M30T drone is a formidable boost to our Eyes in the Sky capacity in the Eastern Cape. The first unit was co-funded by Helping Rhinos for use by pilot Siseko and adds a broader range of capacity to Siseko’s patrolling and first response abilities. This additional layer of surveillance not only helps wildlife but also represents a significant step forward in the career path of Siseko to include drone pilot qualifications and experience.

“As an extension to the fixed-wing light aircraft already funded by Helping Rhinos, this drone gives me further abilities to fly safely at night, in rainy conditions and high winds. It has the capacity to add a considerable boost to video recording and real-time remote transmission of situational information directly to operational controllers and teams on the ground which has far-reaching implications for rhino protection.”
Siseko Mayinje, Eyes in the Sky Pilot.

AN ESSENTIAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN THE ANTI-POACHING TOOLBOX

Rhino Poaching continues at an alarming rate in South Africa, home to around 79% of Africa’s rhinos and is still the most pressing threat to their survival in the wild. South Africa is still losing at least one rhino a day to poaching as consumer demand continues unabated and criminal syndicates capitalise on the black market value of rhino horn in the far east.

In 2022, 448 rhinos were poached in South Africa, a very small decline from 2021 when 452 were killed, but a concerning figure. The poaching statistics for 2023 have yet to be published, but between January and June 2023, 231 rhinos were poached across South Africa. Whilst this is a small decline in comparison to the first six months of 2022 where 259 rhinos were poached, there is still concern for what the year-end figures will bring.

Protecting rhinos and other wildlife from poachers requires an effective combination of a range of anti-poaching tools. Protected areas are often large and varied in landscape, which means anti-poaching operations on the ground must cover vast distances which can lead to gaps in protection. Given the geographical expanse of rhino ranges and the solitary nature of some species of rhino, monitoring by foot alone is often not enough.

THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF COMBINED ANTI-POACHING METHODS

Daytime aircraft and night-time infrared drone surveillance, in collaboration with foot patrols and the use of GPS tracking devices fitted to rhino are now all a vital part of anti-poaching operations and together are proving an effective deterrent in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The consistent presence of a light aircraft over game reserves and night-time drone surveillance send strong messages to poachers, making criminal activity more difficult to undertake.

Alongside this use of high tech anti-poaching tools is the role the local communities play in conservation. Helping Rhinos has funded and helped to establish locally led initiatives which not only use these tools but empower communities to take the lead in conservation and help to defeat wildlife crime. The role of the community and the use of technology are critical in the fight against rhino poaching.

Since 2018, Helping Rhinos has supported and funded an ‘Eyes in the Sky’ programme in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This programme includes a fixed wing aircraft piloted by Siseko Mayinje, a member of the local community who combines his two passions: flying and wildlife conservation.

Anti-poaching pilot Siseko Mayinje knows more than anyone the importance of providing a strong deterrent for would-be poachers, and the presence of an anti-poaching plane is one of the strongest deterrents there is. He has been piloting fixed wing aircraft as part of the ‘Eyes in the Sky’ programme since 2018 and has seen for himself the impact the plane’s presence has to the areas covered. Since the programme was initiated, the area of land patrolled from the air has been expanded ensuring even greater protection of rhino populations in the Eastern Cape.

In 2022, Helping Rhinos expanded the programme by providing a state-of-the-art drone as a formidable boost to aerial surveillance in the Eastern Cape. The first unit was co-funded by Helping Rhinos for use by pilot Siseko and adds a greater capacity to Siseko’s patrolling and first response abilities. This additional layer of surveillance not only helps wildlife but also represents a significant step forward in the career path of Siseko to include drone pilot qualifications and experience.

The use of drones in conservation and wildlife protection has grown considerably over the past decade and alongside it, the technology has improved to cope with the conditions of the African landscape giving the drones the potential to track the location of individual animals, detect poachers, and inform counter-poaching operations by rangers.

The deployment of the DJI M30T drone is a noteworthy boost to our Eyes in the Sky capacity in the Eastern Cape. This specific high-performance drone is equipped with a radiometric thermal camera which is particularly useful for night patrols, allowing rangers to pinpoint rhino much faster and over a wider territory. It can also assist anti-poaching dog patrols and the authorities in apprehending a poacher attempting to leave the scene.

Proof of the effectiveness of these anti-poaching tools is clear: in areas supported by Helping Rhinos, only 3 rhinos have been poached in the last 3 years. The combined technology is working.

FLYING INTO THE FUTURE PROTECTION OF RHINOS

Continuing its support in the Eastern Cape, in 2023, Helping Rhinos funded the purchase of a new anti-poaching plane to ensure even greater protection of rhino populations and allow Siseko to keep watch over greater tracts of land than ever before with the goal of ensuring the successful level of protection to date is not only continued but increased. With use of the plane and state of the art drone, Siseko can spend more time protecting rhinos from the sky and providing vital aerial support to rangers on the ground.

Here’s what anti-poaching pilot Siseko had to say about the way the drone and the additional flying hours brought about by the recent funding helps in his day to day work both from an anti-poaching angle and from community support.

“The M30T drone is great for immediate reaction. Most rhinos on the reserve have colours that send an alert when the rhino shows unusual behaviour. I get an alert on WhatsApp with the coordinates and fly to the location. It really helps to always know the location of the rhino and keep an eye on them especially at night. When not reacting to alerts I do recce flights looking for anything suspicious and with the thermal camera on the drone I can basically see anything that gives off heat from antelopes to humans.

To build strong relationships with the neighbours I help with farm attacks where there’s been break ins and we have to chase the intruders, thermal camera helps a lot. I help with game management too, keeping an eye from above when a rhino has been darted, help find animals that have escaped.”

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