- Zimbabwe in 20 years(2000-2020) lost about 24 000 elephants to poachers over the past 20 years, prejudicing the economy of an estimated US$3 billion
- The tourism industry increased monetarily by 133.9% from December 2021 until December 2022 from earning US$112million to US 263.6million
- The smart camera system will provide anti-poaching units with an early warning system to help protect the wildlife in Africa’s national parks
Harare-This article will explore how a new A.I.-powered system would support Zimbabwe's wildlife business against the backdrop of widespread wildlife poaching. A smart camera created by a Dutch technology company will assist African wildlife conservationists in combating rampant poaching. According to Hack the Planet, their AI-driven solution can assist in real-time animal and poacher detection. Although national parks cover large areas, it is physically difficult for rangers to be present everywhere at all times hence the need for such a system is A. I powered.
Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the Financial Gazette reported that Zimbabwe had lost roughly 24 000 elephants to poachers in the previous 20 years (2000-2020), costing the country's hard currency-starved economy an estimated US$3 billion in sport hunting fees alone. Because poached animals are so important to the nation's tourism industry through safaris and other related activities, this has a significant negative impact on the economy.
According to the most recent statistics, the tourism sector saw a financial increase of 133.9% between December 2021 and December 2022, going from earning US$112 million to US$263.6 million. One of the main reasons for this increase in tourism flow can be attributed to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions following Covid-19, as well as a slight decline in poaching.
There are eleven national parks in Zimbabwe, and each one provides a rewarding and wildly different wilderness experience. Visitors to the parks, which are spread out around the nation, can enjoy a wide range of scenic, cultural, and wildlife activities. With the advent of this artificial intelligence technology, poaching has proven to be a significant concern, and there would likely be a surge in tourism due to an increase in the animal population. The system, according to engineer Thijs Suijten, is made up of a camera trap that has been significantly altered so it can wirelessly communicate with a minicomputer. The information is then instantly sent over space to the rangers' phones using a satellite connection.
The majority of camera traps now in use by rangers require a personal inspection to view the footage they have captured, making it challenging to monitor events as they unfold. This most recent version is something that many Zimbabwean national parks may invest in because the technology was previously deployed in Gabon in 2021 and the project was primarily focused on a human-wildlife conflict, or more precisely, a human-elephant conflict and this was successful.
The smart camera system is expected to give anti-poaching teams an early warning system to aid in safeguarding the wildlife in Africa's national parks. A mobile phone sensor that can identify adjacent SIM cards, which is frequently a clue that poachers are present in remote places, is another technology that is being examined. After putting the units through testing in the Netherlands, Gabon, and Slovenia, the tech start-up is now using them in actual anti-poaching operations. To eliminate poaching in the nation, Zimbabwe must invest in this technology.
CITES approved one-time sales of ivory from Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia in 1999 and again in 2008. At the latter auction, Zimbabwe raised more than $500,000 by selling 3,755 kilos (8,278 pounds) of raw ivory. The bad element of this is that by doing so, illegal slaughter and poaching of elephants across Africa will sharply increase, and legalizing the ivory trade could lead to the extinction of African elephants. This A.I. app will assist Zimbabwe in reducing poaching and fostering animal sustainability making such deals like the CITES one unwarranted.
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