Drones and AI-Driven Solutions for Wildlife Monitoring

Wildlife monitoring has entered a transformative era with the convergence of drone technology and artificial intelligence (AI). Drones provide access to remote and dangerous habitats, while AI unlocks the potential to process vast amounts of wildlife data. This synergy is reshaping wildlife monitoring, offering novel solutions to tackle challenges in species identification, animal tracking, anti-poaching, population estimation, and habitat analysis. This paper conducts a comprehensive literature review to examine the recent advancements in drone and AI systems for wildlife monitoring, focusing on two critical dimensions: (1) Methodologies, algorithms, and applications, analyzing the AI techniques employed in wildlife monitoring, including their operational frameworks and real-world implementations. (2) Challenges and opportunities, identifying current limitations, including technical hurdles and regulatory constraints, as well as exploring the untapped potential in drone and AI integration to enhance wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts. By synthesizing these insights, this paper will provide researchers with a structured framework for leveraging drone and AI systems in wildlife monitoring, identifying best practices and outlining actionable pathways for future innovation in the field.