Drone technology boosts wildlife protection in Hwange

DRONE technology has been deployed to strengthen anti-poaching operations and wildlife monitoring at Hwange National Park, with more wildlife rangers receiving specialised training in the use of remotely-piloted aircraft systems.

The training, supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zimbabwe, is targeting Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Bhejane Trust rangers working in the Sinamatela area, with special focus on on rhino protection.

The initiative comes as conservation teams seek to improve surveillance, data collection and responses to threats across the park’s rugged terrain, where conventional ground-based monitoring can be time-consuming and difficult.

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