New AI tools to monitor wildlife and enhance data-driven protection

April 10, 2025

New AI use cases emerge in African conservation

Boulder Imaging has announced a partnership with Roc Conservation Tech to expand the global reach of its IdentiFlight product to enhance wildlife conservation within the wind energy sector. IdentiFlight is an AI bird detection system aimed at mitigating the impact of wind energy projects on bird populations.

  • This is the latest example of AI aiding African conservation. It enhances anti-poaching efforts, wildlife monitoring, and ecosystem preservation. Through real-time surveillance, predictive models and wildlife tracking, AI can help to protect species, stud animal behavior, and monitor forests.

  • IdentiFlight uses AI and optical sensors to detect and classify risks to endangered birds. It shuts down wind turbines when collision risks exceed thresholds, optimising energy production while protecting wildlife.

  • Our take: Wind farms in Africa must actively protect migratory birds, as the continent serves as a vital flyway for globally threatened species. Renewable energy should not come at the expense of biodiversity…Read more (2 min)

Uninterrupted data collection, primarily effective at night, provides crucial insights into species status, threats, and trends, facilitating targeted and effective conservation strategies across Africa. Experts are testing drones in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy to monitor animal movements and study behaviour during nighttime flights.

  • Other deployed technologies in conservation include EarthRanger and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). EarthRanger combines patrol, sensor, and satellite data to monitor wildlife, reduce poaching, enhance response efforts, and support efficient ecosystem management and human-wildlife conflict resolution.

  • ANPR employs cameras and Optical Character Recognition to identify vehicle registration plates, assisting conservation efforts by monitoring traffic, detecting unauthorised access, and supporting anti-poaching and environmental protection through real-time data logging and analysis.

  • Our take: Night vision devices in conservation allow researchers to observe wildlife in their natural habitat without detection. Animals can behave naturally, free from the influence of human presence…Read more (2 min)

The Peace Parks Foundation, a mid-size conservation organisation, has experienced the highest growth rate in senior staff over the past year among African peers. Our analysis indicates a workforce increase of 20%. This is expected to continue, especially following the recent launch of Africa’s largest community forest carbon project.

  • the Kafue Zambezi Community Forest project, launched on March 14, 2025,  aims to conserve 1.9 million hectares of indigenous forest by 2028. By integrating local leadership, it empowers 280,000 people to adopt sustainable livelihoods while preserving the vital forest catchments of the Kafue and Zambezi rivers.

  • Peace Parks’ mature workforce has an average work experience of 15 years, surpassing the Nature Conservancy with 13 years. 

  • Our take: Sales and business development data indicate that conservation funding in Africa is increasingly connected to professional fundraising and revenue strategies…Read more (2 min)

____________________

UNDP, COMESA Secretariat, AB Entheos Ltd. and ACRE Africa launch Africa Nature Risk Pool to tackle human-wildlife conflict in Africa

Events

🗓️Register for the Regional Conservation Roundtable Africa 2025 in Morocco (May 6)

🗓️Attend the International Congress for Conservation Biology in Australia (June 15)

Jobs

👷Become a Biodiversity Finance Analyst at UNDP (Angola)

👷Be a Conservation Coordinator at Mikoko Development Foundation (Tanzania)

👷Become Africa Director for Conservation Impact at WWF International (Kenya)

👷Apply to be the Country Director at The Nature Conservancy (Gabon)

Seen on LinkedIn 

Charity Mbirimi, Director Marketing & Communications at The Nature Conservancy, Africa Region, says, “Recently, I visited Lamu, one of Kenya’s Coastal towns, as part of the Africa Leadership Team. As is the case across many places in Africa, Lamu’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage are deeply intertwined, making it essential to respond to both nature and livelihoods.”

____________________