African wildlife is threatened by the activities of the poachers. The Rangers are now trying to bring about novel methods to protect the wildlife and also to track down the poachers and their activities. It can help protect many endangered species which is having a thin population at present. A new initiative is being applied through US funding. The procedure employs artificial intelligence and algorithms that are used for gaming purposes. This will be very helpful in the identification of the movement trail of the poachers. The future strikes of the poachers can be understood and can be averted accordingly.
Poaching causing wildlife figures to go down
Poaching is an activity that is widespread in the jungles. The wildlife are killed by the poachers in a stealthy manner. This is mainly done because of the high value of certain parts of the body of the animals that are fetched in the market. The figures of poaching have been arrested in the recent years and the population of animals such as elephants has gone up in the last decade. But as per the report of the Rangers, poaching is again on the rise now. Apart from poaching, wild animals are also killed by locals for getting the meat. All this killing is causing an imbalance in the eco-cycle as the carnivores face lesser prey options leading to decrease in their number too.
The PAWS software
The new technology that is trying to be implemented will be helpful in curbing poaching. With the help of this technology, the Rangers will be able to identify the routes that may be followed by the poachers. Just as in a game, humans creates opponents for online game, here too the correct predictions can be done. As per the implementing specialists, the software will be handed over to the Rangers. They will be able to use it easily as it would not be complex for implementation.
Challenges faced by PAW
The PAWS have been successfully installed in Malaysia with the fund of the U.S. National Science Foundation along with the Army Research Office. But this technology is dependent on internet connectivity. If the signal is poor, this software cannot be used effectively. The real-time effect will not be available. If the rangers come close to the poachers, they also run the risk of being assaulted. They may also shoot the rangers which have already happened a lot in the past.
