How Wildlife Researchers Use Drones to Research and Protect African Lions
DJI drones are helping biologists and researchers safely track and monitor lions in Uganda, aiding in vital conservation efforts.
Camera technology, including camera traps and traditional cameras often play an important role in wildlife conservation. Images are powerful, both for scientific research and visual storytelling alike. In the case of researching lions in Uganda and beyond, scientists face many challenges and believe improved imaging technology can help protect majestic lions, which play a critical role in local ecosystems.
Uganda has several national parks where wild lions live, including the Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its unusual tree-climbing lions. Since these lions enjoy spending time in dense trees, which is highly unusual for lions, they are challenging to track and monitor.
“We have teams searching for lions every single day, identifying them using photographic whisker spot patterns and measuring distances traveled to get accurate counts,” explains Dr. Braczkowski, a world-renowned big cat biologist and wildlife filmmaker and photographer. “However, the ground-based approach is nearly impossible in some terrains, which is why we turned to aerial photography.”
Dr. Braczkowski’s team relies on DJI’s Zenmuse H30T drone to track Queen Elizabeth National Park’s unusual lions. Even when these lions take to the ground, the drones are helpful because the lions utilize complex hunting patterns and even, on rare occasions, swim through crocodile-infested waters.
“Recently, we documented a Guinness World Record of lions swimming across the Kazinga Channel. Without drones, capturing such footage would not have been possible,” the scientist says.
This event was documented using the older Zenmuse H20T, but the team realized they needed improved thermal imaging and night vision capabilities, so they upgraded to the H30T drone. The new model offers four times better image clarity, per DJI, and enables improved nighttime monitoring projects.
“We can now see the details in the wrinkles of an elephant’s ears or the texture of their skin at night, which has been a game changer for our work,” Braczkowski adds.
Beyond capturing fascinating behaviors and beautiful footage, the drones are also used to monitor the area for poachers. Dr. Braczkowski notes that drone technology “is not just limited to wildlife photography and film,” but “holds promise for security applications in places like East Africa and Uganda, where there are no fences.” He says drone technology is “crucial” for “ensuring the safety and preservation of wildlife.”
“Our collaboration with DJI has been instrumental in advancing our research and conservation efforts,” concludes Dr. Braczkowski. “The improved resolution and the ability to operate at night have provided us with insights that were previously unattainable.”
Image credits: DJI / Dr. Alexander Braczkowki
