STUDENTS are leading the charge to protect rhinos from poachers by using drones and sirens.

University of Brighton student Samuel Penny spent six months on a South African game reserve with a team of researchers to find out how best to herd white rhinoceros to safety.

The mammoth mammals are at huge risk to poachers who linger by perimeter fences and shoot the rhinos for their valuable horns.

So lead researcher Mr Penny tried all manner of methods to keep the creatures away from poaching hotspots, including scattering chilli powder by the fences and flying drones over their heads.

But the PhD student found the best method was using sirens to scare the rhinos to safety.

He said: “We discovered that rhinos travelled significantly further in response to the siren than to other noises and to low-altitude drone flights than to higher altitude flights.

“We found the drone to be superior at manipulating rhino movement than the siren due to its longer transmission range and capability of pursuit.”

Though Mr Penny said sirens and drones were “somewhat stressful” and should only be used in high-risk poaching areas, he added it was better than the alternative of dead rhinos.

He said: “The welfare of a manoeuvred rhino will always be substantially higher than that of a poached rhino, which usually ends in death.

“Additionally, if the stimuli do act as a source of stress and elicit fear or anxiety, we hope it will lead to future avoidance of the anxiety-associated stimulus or area.

“Our findings indicate that deterrents are a prospective low-cost method to manage rhino movement in game reserves.

“Given the current rhino poaching crisis and the rising costs of effective anti-poaching security, it is urgent that we find new methods to help stem the slaughter.”

It is thought more than 1,000 rhinos are killed by poachers every year.

In South Africa alone, more than 5,000 rhinos were slaughtered between 2006 and 2016.

Poaching is driven by illegal trade of rhino horn in South East Asia, where the black market rhino horn is believed to be worth more than gold.

Mr Penny, who graduated from the University of Bristol in 2011 with first class honours in biological science, said the new research will make rhinos easier to protect.

He said: “Prior to this research, we found it challenging to herd rhinos towards areas of relative safety during periods of high poaching risk.

“Used alongside existing anti-poaching patrols, our tactics could help make the animals easier to protect.

“Given the current rhino poaching crisis and the rising costs of effective anti-poaching security, it is urgent that we find new methods to help stem the slaughter.”

Mr Penny’s research has been published in a Royal Society journal and was co-written with Brighton University’s Dr Angelo Pernetta, Dr Rachel White and Professor Dawn Scott.

Dr Pernatta said the paper was a “positive step” to show simple methods could be used to protect rhinos from poachers.

“This research, undertaken as part of Sam’s doctoral studies, will be valuable work for reserve managers in Southern Africa looking for rapid, low-cost and effective ways to move at-risk rhinos into areas of relative safety within reserves,” he said.

“This paper is a positive step to showing how off-the-shelf technologies can be used on the ground in areas impacted by poaching for the benefit of at-risk species.”

It is hoped that the study will also help the Earthwatch Institute charity protect rhinos.