Protected from the sky. In Andalusia (Spain) the Iberian lynx, and endangered species, has a new ally: drones. This is the simple and innovative idea at the centre of an agreement signed by Enel Green Power as part of its activities for the protection of biodiversity. Until the 1980s, despite a gradual decrease in specimens, the lynx was still widespread in various areas of the Iberian Peninsula, whereas today it is found in only two areas of Andalusia and is at risk of extinction. A Virtuous Alliance The creation of the drone was financed by EGP Spain. The SAPR will be assembled and equipped with necessary devices by the company Microsensory, while the Regional Council of Andalusia will contribute to the project in the operational phase, providing its scientific and technical know-how. "Thanks to a total investment of 20,000 euros, a tracking and monitoring system for the felines will be developed, based on the use of drones." The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) offer an innovative contribution to the traditional method of radio signals inserted in the animals’ collars. “Radio devices have provided valuable information so far on the territory and the routes taken by the felines, but the monitoring is extremely dependent on the territory’s orography and requires the daily supervision of an operator” stated José Fiscal, Regional Minister of Andalusia. The drones will also enable the shadowing of routes the lynxes use to move, which are often crossed by roads, some with heavy traffic. A species in danger To save the Iberian lynx from extinction, Spain has put an extensive repopulation plan in place. The project we are participating in is a new contribution to support this initiative. Today, the Iberian lynx populates the forests of the Sierra de Guadarrama, in the central areas of Spain, not far from Madrid. "In 2002, the species had been reduced to 94 specimens, present in two small territories of Andalusia, but by the end of 2014, the number had increased to 327 units." The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has lowered the threat level for the species from CR (critically endangered) to EN (endangered). But the alert level remains very high and the eye of the drone is responsible for watching over the future of the species from the sky.
