Wildlife conservation personnel with a drone in Kenya. Credit: University of Southern Denmark

NNA News - Rangers in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve are using drones alongside ground patrols, camera systems and digital tracking tools to monitor wildlife and support anti-poaching operations.

Wildlife ranger Alfred Bett said the reserve currently uses three drones for patrol work, including one equipped with thermal imaging technology for nighttime surveillance. “We are currently using three Chinese-made DJI drones for patrol work,” Bett said, noting that the devices are used for routine monitoring and anti-poaching operations. 

The drones allow rangers to observe areas that can be difficult to access from the ground because of dense vegetation and uneven terrain. Live footage can assist teams in identifying potential threats, assessing situations, and determining how to respond. Senior ranger Steven Kenta said drones are also being used to monitor individual rhinos and assist with identifying their sex. “The drone is used for individual rhino identification and sex determination,” Kenta added.

Rangers have also used drones to locate wildlife that is difficult to find through conventional patrols. Kenta said the technology helped locate a rhino that had not been seen for several years. The devices have also been used to investigate wildlife deaths. Kenta said a drone helped locate a dead elephant in an area where it might otherwise have remained undetected. “If there was no drone, this dead elephant could have gone unnoticed,” he said. 

A drone used for wildlife monitoring and conservation activities. Credit: University of Southern Denmark

Drones are also being used in situations involving human-wildlife conflict. Elephants occasionally leave protected areas and enter nearby communities, where they can threaten crops and residents. Senior tourism and ecology warden Denis Rotiken said drones can help rangers locate elephants and assist in guiding them back towards protected areas.

The reserve's monitoring system extends beyond drones. Cameras have been installed along roads, near wildlife hotspots and on patrol vehicles. Pan-tilt-zoom cameras allow rangers to monitor distant vehicles and tourists, while fixed cameras are positioned at locations including wildlife crossing points along the Mara River. 

Speed cameras have also been installed to monitor vehicles. Kenta said the measure has helped reduce speeding, contributing to fewer accidents involving wildlife. Camera traps provide another monitoring tool in areas that are difficult to observe through regular patrols. The devices are automatically triggered when animals pass through monitored locations, allowing rangers to record wildlife movements over extended periods.

Rangers operate a drone during wildlife monitoring activities in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve. Credit: Xinhua.

In 2024, the Maasai Mara introduced the EarthRanger digital system to collect and record wildlife and patrol information in real time. The system allows conservation personnel to view information about individual animals and track patrol vehicles on digital maps. For conservation workers, the use of these technologies provides additional information that can complement conventional patrols and monitoring activities across the reserve.

Artificial intelligence is also being considered as a possible future tool for wildlife conservation. Rotiken said the Maasai Mara has not yet widely adopted the technology but that conservation workers are beginning to explore its potential.