fact that staff know that they are monitored spreads quickly throughout local
communities. As the system expands, it complicates and delays poaching plans,
along with increasing the risk of being caught.”
A parallel goal of the South Africa rhino project was to develop best practice
examples for other stakeholders in the wildlife conservation community, Mr.
Schmidt says. WPS is installing a similar system in two other South African
parks this year, and is seeking donors for a US$250,000 technology project in
Indonesia to help protect the Sumatran rhino (estimates suggest there are fewer
than 300 left in the world). Compared to the South Africa ranch, the team in
Indonesia will spend more time mitigating infrastructure risks, such as power
and connectivity, prior to launch.
“We are absolutely applying our lessons learned across projects,” he says.
“There will certainly be new challenges as we adapt the tools from operating in
South Africa’s bushveld to the rain forests of Sumatra. But the processes and
milestones will be mirrored.” PM
“We are continually refining
the technology we are using,
modifying our software,
and seeking opportunities
to share these findings with
other stakeholders.”
