SA to use drone against rhino poachers

Monday 29 November 2010
Mtheto Lungu, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi

South Africa is considering using its national defense force unmanned drone helicopter to "target" rhino poachers, Defense Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said.

The South Africa National Defense Force (SANDF) will get a state weapons company Denel manufactured unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to be used to help SA National Parks (SANParks) catch rhino poachers.

"The issue of rhinos is one we recognize as particularly brutal, and we have committed ourselves to SANParks in dealing with this matter. We also want to take advantage of the fact that Denel has a particular UAV that is able to assist us," she told SAPA.

Sisulu described the UAV as "like a (model) helicopter that your 8-year-old sons use". It is unmanned and able to take photos.

"They say it is so good it is able to detect the color of the poacher's shirt. In the long term we can build on it. We want to develop it to the point where we can target the poacher.

"Initially we might just paint him red and arrest him, but as time goes on we will take more drastic measures," she said, but did not elaborate on what these measures might be.

Source: AfricaNews.
Link: http://www.africanews.com/site/SA_to_use_drone_against_rhino_poachers/list_messages/36305.