How are drones helping to save endangered species in Africa?

Drones - Not long ago, they were considered unearthly and far too complicated to actually work. But in recent years they have proved to be very practical and in many cases extremely valuable. From military use to disaster relief, drones have demonstrated their ability to be very versatile and even have helped to save lives. And now, they are being used to help save endangered species.

In a new project entitled Air Shepherds spearheaded by the Lindbergh Foundation, drones are being used to track poachers who kill elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horns. By using infrared cameras, drones are stealth enough to locate poachers during the night and then send their locations to park rangers. Both rhinos and elephants are considered endangered species in many parts of Africa and if nothing is done to help them, they could be extinct in less than 10 years. Air Shepherds aims to stop this. Drones have proved to be very cost effective and much easier to control than other tested methods such as airplanes.

John Peterson, chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation states, “It works. Flying in one area where as many as 19 rhinos were killed each month, there have been no deaths for six months. None at all.”

Read more on the Air Shepherds project here.

Bloomberg Philanthropies announces launch of Data for Health program in emerging countries

Last month, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched a $100 Million Data for Health program. This program, which will be launched in partnership with the Australian government, will help 20 middle to low income countries better collect public health data. One article recently published by PR Newswire states:

“Each year the World Health Organization estimates that 65% of all deaths worldwide – 35 million each year – go unrecorded. Millions more deaths lack a documented cause. This gap creates major obstacles for understanding and addressing public health problems. The Data for Health initiative seeks to provide governments, aid organizations, and public health leaders with tools and systems to better collect data – and use it to prioritize health challenges, develop policies, deploy resources, and measure success.”

Using IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as smartphones and other communication technologies, the program hopes to help 1.2 billion people in 20 countries live healthier, longer lives.