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COMPUTER SCIENCE IN POACHING PREVENTION
The World Wildlife Foundation, working with Google, has successfully created technology to address the problem of poachers (illegal animal hunters) of the rhino in Africa. Poaching is one of the worst acts of animal cruelty. By trapping the rhinos, poachers saw off the rhinos horn and leave it to suffer and die in the wilderness. The WWF have deployed this technology in one park, and hope to extend it to parks all across Africa soon.
How does it work?
The two systems used to identify poachers with infrared cameras are stationary poles lining the border of a park, where no hunting is allowed, and a mobile unit atop a truck used by rangers.
The infrared cameras at these systems pick up heat emitted by people and animals that cross their viewpoint. The embedded software in the device determines whether that heat comes from a human.
If a human is identified, the computer sends an alert to the head warden, who then deploys a quick response ranger unit to intercept the intruder.
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What potential does this have?
Once this technology is deployed across Africa, the WWF will be able to protect species like the Northern White Rhinos, which are critically endangered. This addresses the issue of animal conversation.
Furthermore, the same technology used to identify a human's heat signals can also be modified to identify an animal's heat signals. With enough data, the embedded software would be able to infer the species of the animal and what its conservation status is. If the animal is critically endangered, or needs urgent care, the WWF can send a team to best evaluate how to save the animal.