The number of elephants and rhinos killed for their horns in the last two years has gone down by 58 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively thanks to technology-based intervention known as tenBoma project.
TenBoma is a communications based initiative that uses modern technology and sophisticated data analysis to allow law enforcement agencies to predict and poaching plots in advance and thwart the incidents.
Latest data by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) indicates that 96 elephants and 11 rhinos were killed last year compared to 164 and 35, in 2014 respectively.
“This shows that multiple interventions, including sharing of information among communities and conservation groups in poaching hotspots, are bearing fruit,” International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) president Azzedine Downes said as reported by People Daily.
The development comes days ahead of Saturday’s burning of one of the world’s largest stockpile of ivory and rhino horns in Nairobi.
“There is already a lot of data that can help all of us to prevent poaching but the challenge is to analyse and predict it. tenBoma seeks to fill this gap,” said Downes.
