Indigenous rangers to use SpaceCows program to protect sacred sites and rock art from feral herds

An Indigenous ranger watches feral buffalo. The new SpaceCows program will use AI and satellites to create a virtual replica of how feral herds move through the Top End. Photograph: Seth Seden
September 17, 2021
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Feral herds rubbing off rock art, trampling sacred ceremonial sites and destroying culturally significant waterways will be tackled with new space technology. Balnggarrawarra ranger and Cape York’s Normanby Station traditional owner Vince Harrigan said existing technology allowed rangers to track feral cattle and buffalo through the Top End, but the new SpaceCows program would let them predict in advance where they’re going and cull them or fence off important sites.

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feral animals
cultural heritage
cultural sites
monitoring and surveillance
Australia