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Samsung has announced the expansion of the Wildlife Watch pilot project, which uses technology found in cell phones and has already contributed to the protection of the African rhinoceros.
Samsung will expand its Wildlife Watch pilot project to protect some animal species in risk of poaching in the territories of the Balule Nature Reserve (Kruger Park in South Africa), partnering with the Africam broadcast platform and the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit.
The pilot project was launched in 2021 and uses Samsung technology as a live “surveillance system”, allowing anyone to observe the wildlife of this part of the South African savannah.
The program has already managed to monitor and keep safe one of the area’s characteristic and endangered species – the African rhinoceros – thanks to the virtual rangers.
“There hasn’t been a single attempt to poach rhinos in the reserve since the pilot project was launched. However, poaching of other wildlife living in the reserve has not disappeared. Tourism is still below pre-Covid levels, which means there are fewer eyes watching the Park. Also, the rise in the average cost of living has led to an increase in poverty in the area, which has made it difficult to recruit new rangers, a profession that is still precarious, with low salaries and difficult working conditions,” says Leitah Mkhabela, a Black Mamba Ranger.
In the new expansion, which is already being tested, Samsung will use the technology in the latest Galaxy S21 Ultra and S23 Ultra devices to be able to live broadcast the lives of wild animals, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This equipment will help rangers improve the quality of the evidence they send to headquarters for use in poaching investigations; ensure greater resistance in the field thanks to water and dust-resistant technology; and improve ranger safety by making it easier to coordinate and locate the teams patrolling the area.
“Samsung’s Wildlife Watch pilot project has encouraged thousands of people around the world to look to the African savannah to prevent poaching. This demonstrates the positive role that technology can play in solving real-world problems,” emphasizes Mark Holloway, Director MX Category Management at Samsung Europe, in a statement.
To help the younger inhabitants understand the importance of wildlife conservation, Samsung worked with the Black Mambas to create the educational program “The Samsung Bush Babies Animal Insights”. It highlights the importance of wildlife diversity, conservation and protecting the reserve for future generations.
This year, anyone can become a virtual ranger through “Take the Watch”. In this website it is possible to observe — with different camera points of view — and report if an animal in danger or a sign of poaching is detected, live, from your own home.
To learn more about the signs of poaching activity, virtual rangers can watch “The Black Mambas Boot Camp”. This six-part series provides tips from rangers on the sights and sounds that participants should look out for when carrying out surveillance, explaining the important work they do on their patrols.
She could have studied Meteorology and Oceanography but ended up going for Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wouldn't be the one to change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for her university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch tv shows, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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