The white rhinoceros (犀牛) is near-threatened due to massive illegal hunting; the mountain gorilla (大猩猩) is classed as endangered due to great habitat destruction. If no action is taken, these amazing creatures will undoubtedly be extinct before the end of the century. But scientists are working hard to stop this with some pretty cool drone tech (无人机技术).
One of the biggest dangers to endangered animals in the modern day comes from illegal hunting, which claims the lives of hundreds of white rhinos every year. While regular patrols (巡逻队) can drive hunters away from certain areas, hunters are often well-armed and unafraid to fire upon those hoping to protect the rhinos. This is where drones come in. If researchers work in these areas, there would be a real danger of coming into contact with the hunters. By having drones collect data, movement patterns and numbers of animals, researchers can get away from such dangers.
Drones can also be sent into the skies above difficult-to-reach areas to get data that would otherwise be tough to collect. For example, mountain gorillas are usually found in deep jungle, and organising an exploration can be expensive and demanding. Researchers can send drones over the forest to gather data about the habitat of the animals, and even take high quality images. This information can be priceless when it comes to an on-foot exploration, as researchers can get up-to-date information. In this situation, human-led surveys will still offer better results, but drones can play a huge part.
The downside presently is the cost, which can run into tens, if not thousands, of dollars. However, drone tech is still becoming a more favorable choice in the fight against wildlife extinction.
