Satellite images to aid elephant conservation from space

A file photo of an elephant sitting in water in the Okavango Delta near the Nxaraga village in the outskirt of Maun. Conservationists have started using satellite imagery to count elephants from space, a technique that British experts hope will help protect threatened populations in Africa. — AFP

LONDON: Conservationists have started using satellite imagery to count elephants from space, a technique that British experts hope will help protect threatened populations in Africa.

Researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of Bath said the use of algorithms, machine learning and satellite technology could replace current techniques used to count elephants – a critical aspect of conservation.