Our master student Candy Fahrenholz collected drone data in the national park in Namibia for her master thesis.
While in ancient times vultures were still considered a symbol of courage, power and knowledge, nowadays they belong to the “Ugly 5” in Africa and have a rather grim reputation as scavengers. Nevertheless, as the “health police,” they playing an important role in our ecosystem and acting as an ecological link. Against this backdrop there is a need to protect and conserve in general all vulture species. In October 2022 I started my UAS-based mapping of the endangered subspecies Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) and White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) in the Wildlife Reserve Kuzikus in Namibia. To combine remote sensing detection in nature conservation is an effective instrument with many benefits. With the research outcome I want to provide the opportunity to develop an effective management for a better understanding and protection. With my master thesis the scavengers should get more attention for sustainable conservation.
