Open-source tools drive anti-poaching gains in Africa
Conservationists are deploying mobile apps, acoustic sensors and AI to counter increasingly tech‑savvy poachers, with a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and a formal alliance between EarthRanger and SMART highlighting tangible results. In Zambia’s Kafue National Park, combining the two open‑source platforms to coordinate patrols and analyse data helped teams cover more than 210,000 km and make 322 apprehensions in 2021, alongside reported declines in threats and stable or rising carnivore populations.
Researchers say free, open‑source tools lower adoption barriers in the Global South and are now used across thousands of protected areas in over 100 countries. While technology is not a standalone fix, recent field results – and a joint EarthRanger – SMART conference on 3 November in Hanoi – point to faster responses, better targeting and improved protection of flagship species, outcomes that support wildlife tourism and park operations.
Source: News Mongabay
