New green tech could transform deer count

Innovative new technologies are being trialled that could help revolutionise the way deer numbers are tracked across Scotland.

NatureScot is working with Glasgow-based tech company EOLAS Insight to test the use of satellites, aerial imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately count deer.

Knowing how many deer use an area is important to determine how to manage populations for conservation or sporting purposes. With many deer counts currently carried out manually by helicopter, new technologies offer an alternative solution that could provide swift and accurate data across large areas while helping to reduce the associated carbon footprint and cost.

The first phase of the project, supported through the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme, used satellite imagery combined with newly developed AI image recognition software to identify deer in images.

The approach was so successful that the same technology is now being used by EOLAS Insight to help conservationists count African elephants from space.

NatureScot is again partnering with the company to launch a second phase of work, which will further explore the use of aerial imagery.