{"id":99294,"date":"2015-09-24T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2015-09-24T07:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=99294"},"modified":"2015-09-23T17:41:54","modified_gmt":"2015-09-23T15:41:54","slug":"spy-cam-rhinos-to-take-on-poachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/trending\/99294\/spy-cam-rhinos-to-take-on-poachers\/","title":{"rendered":"“Spy-cam” rhinos to take on poachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The war on wildlife crime is taking a new technology-driven direction. Rhinos are being fitted with GPS trackers, heart rate monitors and spy cameras \u2013 all embedded within their horns. These small but high-tech devices could be a game changer for anti-poaching efforts in Africa.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the claim of conservation group We Are Protect<\/a>, whose Real-time Anti Poaching Intelligence Devices (RAPID) have completed proof-of-concept trials on black rhinos in South Africa<\/a>. The project now aims to move forward to field testing.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how it works. The unit is fitted within the horn of a wild rhino \u2013 a painless operation as their horns are made of keratin, just like human nails or hair \u2013 and data is then relayed live to a centralised control centre which could be many miles away.<\/p>\n

If the animal\u2019s heart rate suddenly becomes heightened or declines, this triggers immediate analysis of the in-horn camera footage (at HQ) while an armed anti-poaching team scrambles on a rapid response mission to intercept the poachers at the location provided<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Anti-poaching<\/a>

Anti-poaching is a dangerous job \u2013 these rangers have their faces obscured for security reasons. Protect RAPID<\/p><\/div>\n

Technology for prevention, not just punishment<\/h3>\n

The original impetus for RAPID came from the inability of teams on the ground to detect poaching quickly and effectively enough to catch the poachers and prevent the horn reaching the illegal markets.<\/p>\n

However, the reality is that we want to stop poaching happening in the first place. We want to save the rhino, not just its horn.<\/p>\n

To achieve this goal RAPID should operate as a deterrent, not just an arrest mechanism. This has raised the question of whether RAPID-tagged rhinos should \u2018\u201cadvertise\u201d that they are carrying the device. But that could simply drive poachers to target untagged rhino.<\/p>\n

\"De-horning:<\/a>

De-horning: an alternative tool in the war on rhino poaching. Jason Gilchrist, Author provided<\/p><\/div>\n

So, in order to achieve the aim of the project, to render poaching a \u201cpointless exercise<\/a>\u201d, we need all individual rhinos to be fitted with RAPID and tagged to indicate so. That sounds expensive and it is not clear who would foot the bill.<\/p>\n

Every rhino needs a tracker<\/h3>\n

Footage giving us a rhino\u2019s eye (or rather a rhino horn\u2019s) view of the world is fascinating and should attract support. However, advanced publicity for this anti-poaching game changer may encourage poachers into a frenzy of killings before it is widely adopted.<\/p>\n

One South African game reserve saw a similar killing spree shortly before some of its rhinos were due to be dehorned<\/a>.<\/p>\n