Falcon Environmental (FALCON) has developed a highly specialized expertise by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as well as other non-flying drones (including wheeled vehicles, boats and fanboats) for controlling unwanted wildlife at airports, landfills, and other locations. All UAV wildlife control operations are conducted ethically and legally, ensuring that no animals are harmed. FALCON's skilled personnel use the predator-prey dynamic to deter hazardous wildlife. The UAVs that are used for this purpose are developed in-house and are compliant with the strict regulations of the airport environment. This method is an extension of the wildlife management practices established at airports since 1992, where trained birds of prey have been used to scare away birds that pose a risk to aircraft.
Our research has focused on addressing wildlife behavior and reinforcing boundaries around homes, farms, and human development. We have been testing the effectiveness of aversive conditioning techniques on cougars in Northeast Washington, a region that has suffered over 400 confirmed human-cougar conflicts since 2017. Addressing human behavior through education/outreach and providing negative reinforcement to cougars that are becoming habituated to human presence appears to be the best approach we have found to protect people and wildlife from conflict.