A research consortium is leveraging a combination of human, animal, and artificial intelligence to help save endangered species. By deploying trackers with algorithms on vultures, the initiative aims to prevent the deaths of various animals and the extinction of species.
Scientists recognize that protecting nature requires understanding it. The GAIA consortium, which includes multiple research institutes and conservation organizations, has developed a new technique to detect abnormal events in remote areas, such as droughts, epidemics, or poaching.
Vultures, which constantly search for carcasses, are being tracked to pinpoint locations where animals die unexpectedly. Researchers have placed trackers on vultures to monitor their movements and identify areas with frequent animal deaths.
The trackers, equipped with algorithms, analyze the vultures' travel patterns and speeds, allowing the AI to determine where animal deaths occur more frequently over time. This aids in investigating the areas for natural or abnormal deaths.
“This combination of three forms of intelligence—animal, human, and artificial—is the core of our new I³ approach,” said Dr. Jörg Melzheimer, director of GAIA. “We aim to harness the impressive knowledge nature has about ecosystems.”
To train the AI on vulture behavior, researchers fitted sensors on two test vultures in Berlin and 27 wild vultures in Namibia. This data helped recognize their hunting habits and preferred locations for finding carcasses. As a result, 500 suspected carcass locations have been identified since the experiment began, as reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
This innovative AI application allows researchers to locate carcasses almost simultaneously with the vultures, providing alerts on climatic, health, and illegal poaching situations.
The technology developed by GAIA also highlights the plight of the white-backed vulture, which is endangered, with 90% of its population lost in three generations. “Given their ecological importance and rapid decline, it is essential to significantly enhance our knowledge and understanding of vultures for their protection,” emphasized Dr. Ortwin Aschenborn, a project leader. Over 130 vultures worldwide are now equipped with GAIA sensors.