Birds of prey hunt down drones

Sjoerd Hoogendoorn, Founder and CEO, GFA, says, “For years, the government has been looking for ways to counter the undesirable use of drones. Sometimes a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem is more obvious than it seems. This is the case with our specially trained birds of prey. By using these birds’ animal instincts, we can offer an effective solution toa new threat.”

Ben de Keijzer, COO and GFA co-founder, says, “I have had a passion for birds of prey since I was very young. Later, I made my passion my profession by becoming a bird handler. Two of the most impressive characteristics of birds of prey are their speed and their power. They use their strength and speed when they hunt: they are the masters of the air. By using our special training methods, we can teach them to intercept drones.”

The company work mainly for national and international governmental security agencies. One of its important clients, with whom the company works closely with, is the Dutch National Police. Together, they are participating in an innovation project in order to research the possibilities of using birds of prey against the undesirable use of drones.

In nature, birds of prey often overpower large and dangerous prey. Their talons have scales, which protect them, naturally, from their victims’ bites. Of course, GFA is continuously investigating any extra possible protective measures it can take in order to protect the birds.The Dutch National Police has asked the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to research the possibleimpact on the birds’ claws. The results are not yet known.