NEW: Researchers from Oxford and Save the Elephants found that drones can track elephant families without disturbing them. They also found that elephants can habituate remarkably quickly to drones, showing fewer signs of disturbance both during single and repeated flights. This finding could transform how scientists and conservationists monitor wildlife. Once seen as a source of alarm, drones (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs) are now proving to be surprisingly elephant-friendly and a valuable research tool. Previously, the use of drones in elephant conservation has mostly relied on their power to disturb: with their buzzing propellers, which can sound like a swarm of bees, elephants reliably run from drones, making them a useful tool to drive elephants from croplands. But new research published by Oxford University and Save the Elephants (STE) has concluded that elephants can learn to ignore drones, particularly when they are flown in a way designed to minimise disturbance. Flyin...