  Using UAVs for wildlife observation and motion capture offers manifold
advantages for studying animals in the wild, especially grazing herds in open
terrain. The aerial perspective allows observation at a scale and depth that is
not possible on the ground, offering new insights into group behavior. However,
the very nature of wildlife field-studies puts traditional fixed wing and
multi-copter systems to their limits: limited flight time, noise and safety
aspects affect their efficacy, where lighter than air systems can remain on
station for many hours. Nevertheless, airships are challenging from a ground
handling perspective as well as from a control point of view, being voluminous
and highly affected by wind. In this work, we showcase a system designed to use
airship formations to track, follow, and visually record wild horses from
multiple angles, including airship design, simulation, control, on board
computer vision, autonomous operation and practical aspects of field
experiments.
