Drones and digital training expand conservation work in African reserves
Conservation professionals from 11 African countries gathered at South Africa’s Lapalala Wilderness nature reserve after completing an online training programme for protected area technicians. During the session, instructor Jacques Viljoen deployed a thermal drone to search for a lone cheetah, while participants examined the demonstration on an outdoor screen.
Conservation professionals from across Africa attended practical training at Lapalala Wilderness nature reserve in South Africa’s Limpopo province after performing well on an online programme run by the Connected Conservation Foundation.
The participants came from 11 African countries, including Kenya, Benin, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar. Duncan Kanyakera, who is from Tsavo in Kenya, was among those attending.
Instructor Jacques Viljoen deployed a thermal drone to search for a lone cheetah during the demonstration. Five Peace Parks staff members were also taking part in the training.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions determine whether conservation organisations can maintain and use thermal drones after training ends?
Who controls the data collected by drones in protected areas, and how can affected communities influence that control?
What conservation priorities might receive less attention if resources shift toward drone-based monitoring?
How would the training programme be evaluated if participants did not gain access to equipment or funding?
Could reliance on digital systems create new vulnerabilities for protected areas?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · JULY 2026