Abstract
This study proposes an automated computer vision framework to detect and monitor mixed herds of cattle and sheep. By integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery with ground-level perspectives, a multimodal dataset was curated. Using this data, a lightweight, single-stage object detector (YOLOv8n), tailored for resource-constrained edge devices, was trained and optimised. The integration of computer vision and UAV technology offers agricultural agencies a scalable tool for proactive epizootic surveillance.