High-Tech Heroes: Drones Take Flight to Save Kaziranga’s Rhinos

Image Source: Daily Mail

Kaziranga National Park in Assam is famous for its one-horned rhinos, but it’s also been a hotspot for poaching. In the last few years, drones have quietly become one of the park’s most effective tools for keeping these animals safe.

Eyes in the Sky: Since 2017, Kaziranga’s rangers and police have been using drones to patrol the park. Each range has its own drone unit, and the teams are trained to fly them over tough terrain, especially at night or during the monsoon when poachers are most active.
Better Surveillance: These drones aren’t just flying cameras. They come with thermal imaging and live video feeds, so rangers can spot movement in the dark, track rhinos during floods, and keep an eye on places that are hard to reach on foot.
Real Results: The difference has been huge. Before drones, poaching was a constant threat, with over 190 rhinos killed between 2000 and 2021. Since drones became part of daily patrols, the number of rhinos poached has dropped by more than 80%.
More Than Just Patrolling: Drone footage helps in court cases against poachers and is also used during floods to find stranded animals and guide rescue teams.
Getting Smarter: The latest drones can fly for up to five hours and cover much more ground than before. They’re being upgraded all the time to meet the park’s needs.
Inspiring Others: Kaziranga’s drone program is now a model for other parks in India and even in Nepal, showing how technology can be a real ally in conservation.