How AI and Drones Are Transforming Wildlife Conservation

With the rise of AI and other technologies, many people feel uneasy. While some developments, such as generative AI, have sparked controversy and fear, others are proving to be highly beneficial. Technology isn’t just helpful for humans; it also plays a crucial role in wildlife conservation and other animal-related efforts. In fact, numerous wildlife tech devices are gaining popularity for their effectiveness in monitoring and protecting various species. Interested in learning more about how technology has helped, and continues to help, animals? Here are six types of wildlife tech that aid in research and conservation.

1. Camera Traps

Camera traps are a great example of wildlife tech that benefits various animals. Wyatt Mayham, CEO of Northwest AI Consulting, spoke with A-Z Animals about how AI-powered camera traps help with wildlife monitoring. 

“Camera traps, of course, have been used for years by wildlife researchers, but reviewing tens of thousands of these images has generally been a massive labor bottleneck,” he says. “It’s just very labor-intensive for teams to sort photos, identify species, and tag behavior.”

However, with the recent deployment of AI-powered camera traps, these tedious tasks are now streamlined.

“Computer vision models are trained on thousands of wildlife images, and these traps now automatically identify species, count individuals, and even flag specific behaviors like feeding, fighting, or mating,” Mayham explains. “Some systems can even recognize individual animals based on coat patterns or body shape, like how the Wildbook project tracks zebras and jaguars by their unique markings.”

Mayham called out a specific open-sourced tool called MegaDetector. This is a tool that many conservationists use to detect animals, people, and vehicles, as well as to filter out non-wildlife images.

“In Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, camera traps and AI were combined to track elephant migration patterns,” Mayham says. “Over a million images were processed using object recognition models, which led to improved fencing deployments and rerouting. This kind of technology, with the help of AI, is awesome because it helps keep people focused on what matters the most, which is protection and intervention.”

2. Virtual Fencing

You’ve likely heard of virtual fencing before. This wildlife tech tool helps contain animals in a certain region without the use of an actual physical fence. Instead, experts use a virtual, GPS-enabled collar that alerts and stops an animal when it approaches virtual boundaries. This may take the form of a mild electrical shock or an auditory signal. Virtual fencing can assist with grazing and livestock management. However, despite being designed to be animal-friendly, there are ethical concerns regarding its use. It is important to ensure that the device does not cause undue stress to the animals.

3. Acoustic Monitoring

Acoustic monitoring involves using sound to track and gather information about wildlife. The data collected can later be used for research and conservation purposes. One prominent example of acoustic monitoring is the use of acoustic buoys.

“These buoys are floating listening stations equipped with underwater microphones (called hydrophones) that detect whale vocalizations,” says Peter Gros, Wildlife Expert and Co-Host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. 

“The buoys detect whale sounds and identify them using machine learning algorithms trained to recognize species calls,” he tells A-Z Animals. “Once the whale is detected, the buoy sends an alert via satellite to a data center, and the information is then deployed to ships and port authorities within minutes, receiving notifications through tools like NOAA’s WhaleAlert app and email alerts so vessel operators can slow down or reroute to avoid collisions with whales.”

This is just one example of acoustic monitoring in action. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, this non-invasive approach is similar to camera traps. The acoustic sensors capture a variety of data—such as species distributions and behavior—over time. This aids in ecology and conservation research.

4. Rehab Tech

Rehab tech has undoubtedly been one of the best tech developments in recent years. GPS and satellite tracking have long been used to study wildlife and different habitats. Like other tools on this list, they can help collect important data.

“GPS and satellite tracking help track animal movements, migration patterns, and behavior in real-time in the wild,” Gros tells A-Z Animals. “The tracking devices are safe and non-invasive for wildlife, with many designed to detach naturally after a set period.”

These tracking tools are especially known for their contributions to wildlife rehabilitation.

“This technology is particularly valuable when monitoring rehabilitated animals, such as bears and mountain lions, to ensure they’re thriving after reintroduction into the wild,” Gros says. “It’s also widely used in marine conservation efforts, where species like manatees, sharks, and sawfish are fitted with transmitters to track populations and guide recovery initiatives.”

In addition to GPS and satellite tracking, animal prosthetics are another rehab tech tool that’s gained popularity in recent years. These artificial devices help animals recover from injuries or illnesses that have led to the loss of certain body parts. Animal prosthetics improve mobility and overall quality of life. These devices can be used for a variety of animals, ranging from pets like dogs and cats to livestock such as goats and horses. Even turtles can benefit from prosthetic ‘feet’ or flippers.

5. Thermal Drones

Thermal drones enable researchers to detect temperature variations in an environment, which helps them track animals in the area by identifying their heat signatures. According to The Wildlife Society, scientists in Trinidad and Tobago are already using thermal drones to identify endangered leatherback sea turtles. That way, they can send more rangers to high-activity areas.

“The use of drones has revolutionized wildlife monitoring by allowing us to track animals in remote, hard-to-reach habitats with minimal human interference,” Gros said. “This approach ensures that wildlife remains undisturbed.”

However, sea turtles are not the only animals that benefit from drones. Gros explained that drones have been used throughout the filming of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. 

“Both wildlife organizations and our camera crew rely on drones to safely and efficiently capture footage to track and monitor species ranging from black bears to mountain lions,” he explained. “One recent example includes our work in Churchill, Manitoba, where drones enabled us to observe and document the movement of polar bears in the wild, highlighting a particularly memorable moment involving a mother and her cub.”

Additionally, thermal drones in particular can help scientists better analyze the impacts of climate change on various ecosystems, from the Arctic to rainforests, Gros says.

6. Techno-Torts

Tortoises are currently at risk of extinction, partly because of the increasing population of ravens, which are aggressive predators of tortoises (habitat loss, disease, and other factors also contribute to their decline). However, as part of a pioneering conservation effort within the Mojave Desert, scientists have developed and deployed a tool called “techno-torts” or “techno-turtles.”

“A 3D-printed ‘Techno-Turtle’ infused with methyl anthranilate (commonly known as grape flavoring) is used to deter ravens from preying on baby tortoise populations,” says Gros. 

This device is designed to resemble a real tortoise shell. When a raven pecks at the shell in an attempt to eat it, the device releases methyl anthranilate, which quickly deters the bird. But don’t worry: according to Gros, the device is harmless to the birds and merely reconditions their predatory behavior, helping to preserve balance within the ecosystem through a process called “aversive training.”