Can Drones Help Save Africa's Animals?

What is the collective noun for a group of drones? A flock? A watch? A sentinel? Actually, it's a guardian.

And today sees the launch of A Guardian; a glorious, drone-shot film for charity Over&AboveAfrica that uses collective nouns to showcase the beauty of animal groups across Africa, while at the same time highlighting their vulnerability to gangs of poachers.

“Every day is a tech-war between heavily armed, well organised, skilled poachers and our courageous, but often ill-equipped rangers. Dropping our guard can mean the loss of whole herds.”

The sereis of collective nouns act as the narrative thread in this emotional rollercoaster of a film for the Los Angeles–based charity organisation that raises funds to support people and organisations in Africa who are actively preventing extinction. 

The 90-second, drone-shot film is leading the charity’s initiative to supply drones to game reserves to help them win the war against poaching. Drone technology is proving to be a savior for Africa’s endangered animal groups with their use increasing the survival chances of endangered animals by up to 80%, according to a pioneering group of conservationists, entrepreneurs and researchers called Air Shepherd.

A recent report states that 83% of wild mammals have been lost to human civilization, yet we make up just 0.01% of the Earth’s biomass.

The film has been made by an international team of creatives led by former Wieden+Kennedy, 180 Amsterdam and DDB New Zealand veteran, Andy Fackrell, who has recently left R/GA LA to return to Amsterdam. The film is directed by another ex-180 Amsterdam creative, Sam Coleman at Giant Films in Cape Town.

The film presents a series of swooping aerial shots of animal groups, each titled with the respective collective nouns – a pride of lions, a wobble of ostrich, an implausibility of gnu – before tracking ‘a gang’ of poachers on the drone’s night vision camera.

A recent report states that 83% of wild mammals have been lost to human civilization, yet we make up just 0.01% of the Earth’s biomass. With African elephant numbers dropping 9% per year, it’s a battle that has become a crisis, starkly evidenced by the slaughter of 90 elephants over the last two months in Botswana. 

“It’s a slaughter,” says OverAndAboveAfrica founder Kerry David. “Every day is a tech-war between heavily armed, well organised, skilled poachers and our courageous, but often ill-equipped rangers. Dropping our guard can mean the loss of whole herds.”

“This is such an issue, both  economic, as well as emotional," explains Fackrell, on working with director Sam Coleman, "Sam had no problem convincing Cape Town’s industry to get behind it, as my old colleague Shannon Worley did with RPS in LA.” 

Italian composer Ezio Bosso’s Under The Trees’ Voices perfectly underscores the film’s emotional message. “We’re also very appreciative for Sony Music Italy on their generosity with the track,” added Fackrell.