Drones Are Changing Elephant Research — Here’s How
Elephants may never forget — and now we know they can adapt to drones too.
A new study by Save the Elephants (STE) and the University of Oxford shows that drones, when flown high and carefully, can be powerful and non-invasive tools for monitoring wild elephant families.
Elephants in Samburu National Reserve photographed by a drone
Researchers tracked 14 known elephant families in Kenya’s Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. While some elephants reacted mildly at first, responses dropped within minutes – and nearly half of all trials showed no disturbance at all. The findings reveal how quickly elephants learn that drones pose no threat.
Save the Elephants’ drone team in Samburu National Reserve © Jane Wynyard / Save the Elephants
This breakthrough could transform wildlife monitoring, giving scientists new ways to study social behaviour, movement patterns, and even night-time activity without disrupting natural behaviour. Supported by the Colossal Foundation, the study blends STE’s 30+ years of field expertise with cutting-edge technology to understand elephants in a whole new way.
Watch the film to see how drones are reshaping elephant research.
Read the full study or press release here.