Drone mounted species recognition

Project overview

This project aimed to demonstrate that a drone mounted species recognition system could be used to locate and visually record feral animal species that contribute negatively to total grazing pressure.

Total grazing pressure is the ratio of the demand for pasture to the supply of pasture available. Demand can come from livestock and native or feral animals and is the leading cause of environmental degradation in the Southern Rangelands.

GPS positioning of feral animals will allow economic removal in the short term by pastoralists or biosecurity groups and long-term monitoring will provide a data base of feral animal movements and their interactions with other livestock and their environment.

This technology will be particularly important in times of low feed availability, such as low rainfall years or drought, since it will greatly assist the management of non-domestic grazers and enable better rangeland management.

Impacts and Results

This project demonstrated that a drone can be used successfully to identify various animal species. Due to seasonal conditions the research team were unable to locate some of the larger pests such as feral dogs and camels. Instead they switched to detecting and identifying smaller species (birds, rabbits), which are more challenging and further proved the capability of the technology.

This technology may lead to economic benefits by reducing costs associated with feral animal monitoring and targeted management. The impact is likely to focus on improved livestock body condition from more feed, reduced infrastructure damage, targeted control, and industry revitalisation.

Environmentally, such information could help to decrease total grazing pressure, mitigate land degradation, and enhance animal welfare. Additionally, biosecurity benefits include fewer feral animals and diseases, ensuring food chain integrity.

This project was funded by the Australian Government’s Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program and was initiated through the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub.