Technology a changer for game under threat
Software system gives rangers an earlier warning about poachers or other dangers in remote areas
If he has his way, Paul Allen, the world’s 10th-richest software developer, will cover 150,000km² of African territory with smart sensors and drones by the end of 2017 to bring hyper-connectivity to the most remote, wildlife-packed corners. It’s the biggest, tech-focused conservation project to date, a command-and-control system for rangers to record and respond to poaching threats. Allen is funding the project— called the Domain Awareness System (DAS) — through his company Vulcan and it’s as simple in concept as it is complex in execution. The software is the key to what may be one of the sexiest philanthropic causes of our time. The basic idea: studying the movements of endangered animals to get ahead of poachers on a scale that allows Big Data to predict threats to the animals across entire regions. For years, African rangers have protected wildlife with boots on the ground and sheer determination. Armed guards spend days and nights surrounding elephant herds and rhinos, while on...
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