Drones, troops protect eggs

A small drone buzzes above a pristine Pacific beach in Mexico as troops stand guard, seeking to deter poachers from snatching sea turtle eggs that end up on restaurant menus.

The drone, with six rotors that sound like a menacing hornet, has a GPS system and a camera to spot would-be hueveros (egg robbers) who hide between dunes and cactuses along the Morro Ayuta beach in Oaxaca state.

Used for the first time this year, the surveillance aircraft "helps to map and identify the footpaths" made by thieves, said one of the 20 marines guarding the 18-km stretch of beach near the town of San Pedro Huamelula.