Technology vs Poachers - Still Depends on Dedicated People

Whether in government preserves,national parks or private game preserves, many species are being murdered to the brink of extinction by illegal poaching. Poachers annually kill over 30,000 African elephants for their tusks. At current kill rates, African rhinos could be extinct in the wild in 20 years, killed for their horns. The tiger population has been shrinking by 50% each decade since the 1990s, with perhaps only 2,500 mature tiger remaining in the wild.

On the ground, anti-poaching efforts are costly and strain the resources of both public and private preserves. Poachers have the advantage of stealth and are often better equipped than the rangers and guards assigned to protect vast areas. However, anti-poaching forces are finding new, cost effective means to deploy resources and tactics to defend the animals under their care.

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Army Research Office, researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) and game theory to solve poaching, illegal logging and other problems worldwide, in collaboration with researchers and conservationists in the U.S., Singapore, Netherlands and Malaysia.

But, it isn’t just the NSF, the military and a vast collection of researchers and techies that are working to protect wildlife. High school students prove that inspired and committed individuals can also join in the fight against poaching.

Alger-Meyer said the park rangers like to use helicopters to look for poachers from above the 300,000 acres of the park. However, fuel is expensive.

"I thought they could use a drone for this, and it would be a lot cheaper and more efficient," Alger-Meyer said. "I came back to Denver and told Nathan 'We have to do something about this.'"

Most of us don't need a drone to find a problem. The key is seeing the problem and working on a solution. This is something we all can do in our own way. Just Save One is all about the power of the individual whether animal or human to make a difference.