US boosts drone surveillance as flesh-eating screwworms spread in Texas
Hundreds of Homeland Security drones retasked to survey wildlife and livestock.
Hundreds of Homeland Security drones retasked to survey wildlife and livestock.
The short version
- Hundreds of US government drones have switched from border surveillance to a different surveillance mission this summer—looking for signs of screwworm infestations in wild animals and livestock herds.
- The effort involves at least 200 drones owned by the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.
- The USDA has described performing more than 1,000 drone flights and surveying more than 22,000 animals so far.
What happened
However, it’s unclear if any of the drone flights may have led to detections of animals infested by screwworms in the United States. The USDA dashboard showed 45 confirmed cases in domesticated animals across South Texas and New Mexico as of August 12.
Why it matters
Most infestations involved cattle or sheep, with several dogs and a goat also being listed.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.