Since 1969, the number of rhinos in Kenya has dropped from 20 000 to just over 500, with one rhino killed every 11 hours in the East African country.
To protect the remaining animals, wildlife experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service, are installing advanced camera technology in remote areas to keep track of the animals and curb poaching.
According to Inhabitat, the initiative forms part of the society's Instant Wild project, which uses real-time surveillance technology to identify endangered species across the globe. The project is partially funded by Google, and the information generated will act as an early warning system, while serving as a source of data for Instant Wild.
The satellite-connected and motion-triggered cameras capture images whenever movement is detected and stream this footage to the public through a satellite network. The initiative allows anyone with the Instant Wild iOS app or access to the organisation's Web site to contribute to conservation efforts by monitoring footage, possibly detecting untoward activities that wildlife professionals might miss.
The platform will send out illegal poaching warnings, especially when tracking endangered species, like rhino. "The motion-triggered cameras are installed in areas such as watering holes, and can currently take up to 30 photos a day as well as multiple pictures less than a second apart on each motion trigger," said Richard Traherne, head of the wireless division at Cambridge Consultants, which created the technology, in an interview with Mashable.
"The cameras use infrared flash technology without using white light so as not to scare the animals or make the poachers aware of their presence," he added.
In addition, Traherne noted that the ZSL is looking to detect vehicle vibrations and triangulate the sound of gunshots so that park rangers can pinpoint the location of poachers and intervene immediately.
Each unit is based on a Raspberry Pi computer, which can run for long periods on a single battery and can be configured from the ZSL base, simplifying maintenance. "This is an essential requirement when the cameras are located in remote, inaccessible areas where a trip back to modify the settings aren't feasible," said Traherne.
"This technology will enable us to make a significant breakthrough in our day-to-day work with endangered species," concludes Patrick Omondi, deputy director of wildlife conservation at the Kenya Wildlife Service. "We manage around 8% of the total land mass of Kenya - and these cameras will be critical in helping us monitor the wellbeing of rare animals and ensure their habitats remain protected from poachers."
At present, the smart satellite cameras are only in operation in Kenya, but there are plans to expand use of the technology to the Antarctica, the Himalayas, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
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