Hark! A deer! Oh wait, it’s actually a decoy to trick poachers! American Wildlife Law Enforcement workers are now using realistic robotic animals to fool people that are hunting illegally. The decoys are remote controlled and equipped with video cameras. They are deployed in places where officials have been tipped off about illegal hunting and the information decoys provide can be used to identify the poachers.
These robot animals help to preserve and protect the creatures they are built to imitate. Poaching is a big problem for the safety of animals, particularly if the species is at risk, so these models are very useful to those who strive to conserve wildlife. The robots decoys are made by suppliers who craft them from legally acquired animal hides so that they appear more realistic. Robot animals are in very high demand by game wardens and Wildlife Law Enforcement officers and can cost a few thousand U.S. dollars.
Another way to use robots for wildlife conservation is to place them in the natural habitat of the species they are modeled after. Equipped with video cameras and sometimes audio recorders, these robots can gather key information about the way animals behave. This is especially useful with groups of creatures who are hard for humans to track, observe and protect. Reviewing the audio and footage from these robot animal spies, researchers can uncover previously unknown facts about creatures that are not otherwise frequently seen or heard about. In this way, more information that will help protect elusive animals from poaching, disease and extinction can be safely gathered. So, animal robots do not only act as decoys, they can also be educational spies for wildlife conservation.
https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/spying-on-wildlife-with-a-herd-of-wild-robots