Naturalists are equipped with much more than baggy shorts and binoculars these days – they need the latest tech on side
“In fact, I am one of those chaps in baggy shorts with binoculars! I love nothing more than waking up in a place and hearing new birdsongs and going out and figuring out who’s singing. I love being in the field. That’s why I got into this business. But I also know that we are increasingly outgunned by the bad guys. The poachers have night-vision goggles, AK47s and helicopters and, unless we’re prepared bring in the same level of resources to stop what has become a massacre of elephants, tigers and rhinos, we’re not going to win. Technology is important for understanding where animals are, understanding where poachers are, tracking illegal goods, seeing where the food we eat comes from. We have a partnership with Google that looks to experiment with all kinds of different technologies to track animals – and also track poachers. We’ve experimented with Google Glass in Nepal for monitoring rhinos, using cell-phone technology and tracking poachers from the air so the law enforcement authorities can be in the right place to intercept them. We’re very much in the experimentation stage as it’s really important to have the best tech – but it also has to be practical and simple. If it breaks down, it has to be repairable in the most remote locations. Nepal has just declared its second year of no poaching, setting a standard for the rest of world, and a lot of that is down to technology and monitoring. We keep to the rule of law, we work closely with governments, but we’re not going to win if we’re too nice about it. When you get on the front lines and you see communities and governments that have the right resources and are fighting back, it makes your heart sing.”
- Interview with Carter Roberts the President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund
“In fact, I am one of those chaps in baggy shorts with binoculars! I love nothing more than waking up in a place and hearing new birdsongs and going out and figuring out who’s singing. I love being in the field. That’s why I got into this business. But I also know that we are increasingly outgunned by the bad guys. The poachers have night-vision goggles, AK47s and helicopters and, unless we’re prepared bring in the same level of resources to stop what has become a massacre of elephants, tigers and rhinos, we’re not going to win. Technology is important for understanding where animals are, understanding where poachers are, tracking illegal goods, seeing where the food we eat comes from. We have a partnership with Google that looks to experiment with all kinds of different technologies to track animals – and also track poachers. We’ve experimented with Google Glass in Nepal for monitoring rhinos, using cell-phone technology and tracking poachers from the air so the law enforcement authorities can be in the right place to intercept them. We’re very much in the experimentation stage as it’s really important to have the best tech – but it also has to be practical and simple. If it breaks down, it has to be repairable in the most remote locations. Nepal has just declared its second year of no poaching, setting a standard for the rest of world, and a lot of that is down to technology and monitoring. We keep to the rule of law, we work closely with governments, but we’re not going to win if we’re too nice about it. When you get on the front lines and you see communities and governments that have the right resources and are fighting back, it makes your heart sing.”
- Interview with Carter Roberts the President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund
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