Technology is getting the better of poachers in Tanzania
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and technologists have developed EarthRanger so rangers are always one step ahead in protecting wildlife
Grumeti — In Tanzania’s Grumeti Game Reserve, next to the Serengeti National Park, elephants roam, rangers sleep more peacefully at night, and poachers have been put on notice, thanks to new technology designed to protect one of the world’s most endangered species. In response to the surge in ivory poaching in Africa, where the elephant population fell by about 20% between 2006 and 2015, US philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and technologists from his company Vulcan have developed EarthRanger.
Their tech platform aggregates remote sensor readings of animal movements, trackers on radios and in vehicles, camera-trap photos, and data from GPS-powered “geo fences” to give rangers in wildlife reserves and parks, such as Grumeti, a clear view of protected areas. The platform alerts them when threats are picked up through the data. “EarthRanger … takes you from being reactive and always behind and always after an animal has been killed, or a ranger has been injured or...
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