Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Parks has announced plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or drones in Kasungu National Park to combat wildlife crimes.

Deputy director of parks and wildlife responsible for wildlife management and utilisation Davis Kalima said this on Saturday after the launch of Drone-Based Monitoring and Protection of Wildlife in National Parks project in Lilongwe on Friday.

He said the project will be implemented by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in partnership with a local firm Tech265.

Mphwanthe (in blue suit) shakes hands with Kamtukule to mark the launch of the project

The launch follows trials and demonstrations that proved that drone technology is effective in gathering data that helps in combating wildlife crime.

“Tech265 management recently met Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule and submitted the concept and the technology capabilities which was approved; hence, the project,” said Kalima.

He said using the drone technology in wildlife conservation efforts is effective because of the surveillance abilities, particularly in remote and inaccessible regions, where traditional methods of wildlife monitoring can be time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous.

Tech 265 founder Henry Mphwanthe said their drones will be equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging and will capture detailed images and videos of wildlife to provide valuable data for researchers and conservationists.

“The information can be used to track animal movements, monitor population trends, and identify potential threats to their survival. ,” he said.

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