Thermal drones deployed in Kenya’s Amboseli Park to tackle human-elephant conflict
Dominic Mutua, a smallholder farmer from Inkoisuk village some 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Amboseli National Park, has often clashed with two elephants that enter his farm and destroy crops. “We had to stay up guarding most nights and chasing them away,” Mutua told Mongabay in a telephone interview. The 2025 census conducted by the […]
Thermal drones have been introduced in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park to address the human-elephant conflict. A farmer from Inkoisuk village, residing 30 kilometers from the park, frequently encounters elephants intruding into his farm and damaging crops, compelling him to vigilantly guard his property throughout the night. The 2025 census by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) documented a population of 42,072 elephants in Kenya, with 1,903 residing in Amboseli and its surrounding areas.
The park lacks a perimeter fence, allowing elephants to roam freely beyond its boundaries. To tackle this issue, drones equipped with thermal-imaging technology have been deployed in the remote rural area of southern Kenya. These drones facilitate monitoring of animal movement, detection of wildlife at night, and timely warnings to communities, thus preventing escalations of conflicts.
Amy Baird, Deputy Director of the Big Life Foundation, explains that the drones serve a dual purpose: collecting data and safely deterring elephants from entering farms and settlements by guiding them away from these areas. The US-based nonprofit organization collaborates with local communities to safeguard elephants and preserve habitats within the larger Amboseli ecosystem.
Approximately 200,000 individuals inhabit the park and the broader Amboseli region, covering an area of about 8,093 square kilometers, 97% of which lies outside the park. The park, encompassing 392 square kilometers, thrives on the well-being of surrounding community lands.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
