The first successful drone tests in Tanzania’s national parks have given the authorities high hopes of a new weapon in combating poaching, especially of elephant and rhino. The US-made DA 50 drone completed five successive days of trials in Mkomazi National Park.

As reported by Tanzania Daily News, the drone – which uses half a litre of fuel for every hour in the air and can spend 10 hours airborne – relays information to the ground that enables rangers to track poachers, leading to their arrests.

The results of the trials will be presented to Tanzania National Parks and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation before a commitment to using the drones is made.

22 September 2015
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