Few people have ever had the chance to spot an African golden cat. Very difficult to observe in its natural habitat, researchers are trying to record these felines in order to protect them.
Found in the dense tropical forests of central and western Africa, this feline is so elusive that the last IUCN assessment, over ten years old, provides no estimate of its population.
AI for the survey
As CNN Science reports, Mwezi Mugerwa, who is passionate about the species, has embarked on work to survey the breed.
Thanks to a partnership with the African Golden Cat Conservation Alliance, which brings together 46 conservationists across 19 countries, Mwezi Mugerwa was able to launch his survey.
And to help him, he was able to rely on artificial intelligence. "This is really important, because we are now able to talk about numbers and density," explains the researcher.
He explains that thanks to AI, it is now possible for "the cats to be differentiated individually, which would be almost impossible due to their small size and their distinctive features".
