Conservation professionals from across Africa are learning to deploy thermal drones and other digital tools in the fight to protect endangered wildlife, as a technology revolution takes hold in the continent's nature reserves. The training, held at Lapalala Wilderness nature reserve in South Africa's Limpopo province, brought together rangers and protected area technicians from 11 African countries, including Kenya, Benin, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.
During a night exercise in the reserve, instructor Jacques Viljoen launched a thermal drone into the dark sky to locate a lone cheetah, while students watched the live feed on an open-air screen. Among them was Duncan Kanyakera from Tsavo in Kenya, who joined 20 other conservation professionals in the hands-on session. The demonstration was part of an advanced course for graduates of an online training programme for protected area technicians, run by the Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF). Five members of Peace Parks staff also took part in the training.
The programme reflects a broader shift in African conservation, where rangers increasingly rely on technology to monitor vast, remote landscapes that are difficult to patrol on foot. Thermal drones allow teams to detect animals and poachers at night, when much illegal activity occurs, and to track species across terrain that would take days to cover by vehicle. The online training component is designed to build digital skills among conservation staff who may have limited access to formal education in remote areas.
For many participants, the course at Lapalala was the first opportunity to operate the equipment they had studied remotely. The curriculum covers drone piloting, data analysis, and the use of software for mapping and monitoring wildlife populations. Organisers say the goal is to create a network of trained technicians who can return to their home reserves and train others, multiplying the impact of the programme across the continent.
The use of technology in conservation has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by falling costs and improvements in drone battery life, camera resolution and thermal imaging. Conservation groups have deployed drones for tasks ranging from counting elephant herds to detecting snares and tracking the movement of animals across borders. In some reserves, automated sensors and camera traps feed data into systems that alert rangers to suspicious activity in real time.
Peace Parks Foundation, which collaborates with CCF on training initiatives, manages transboundary conservation areas that span multiple countries. The organisation has been testing drones and other surveillance tools in these large landscapes, where coordination between national agencies is essential. The participation of Peace Parks staff in the Lapalala course highlights the growing emphasis on cross-border cooperation in wildlife protection.
The training also addresses a practical challenge facing many African reserves: a shortage of skilled personnel who can maintain and operate high-tech equipment. By investing in local technicians, conservation organisations hope to reduce dependence on outside experts and ensure that technology remains in use long after donor-funded projects end. The online format of the initial training allows candidates to study while continuing to work, making the programme accessible to rangers who cannot leave their posts for extended periods.
As the night exercise concluded, the cheetah was located safely, and the students gathered to review the flight data. For Kanyakera and his colleagues, the lesson was clear: computers and saving animals go together. The course at Lapalala is part of a wider effort to equip a new generation of African conservation professionals with the tools they need to protect the continent's wildlife in an era of increasing environmental pressure.
