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Tech helps Vietnam rangers turn the tide on poaching
In Vietnamโs Pu Mat National Park, which borders Laos, an antipoaching unit is integrating high-tech tools with on-the-ground patrols to help turn the tide on illegal wildlife poaching. The antipoaching unit (APU) was formed through a partnership in 2018 between the NGO Save Vietnamโs Wildlife (SVW) and the park, to address the widespread use of wire snares and the limited capacity of forest rangers, APU coordinator Huu Trung Nguyen told contributor Campbell Rusden in an interview for Mongabay. Nguyen said that about 70 forest rangers previously monitored more than 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of rugged terrain each on average. Patrol information was also recorded in written notes and patrol routes, and locations of illegal activities were described in narrative form, said Trung Hau Luong, the unitโs deputy head, in the interview. Now, the APU team uses SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) software and remotely monitored โPoacherCams.โ Luong said that SMART allows patrol teams to record routes, wildlife observations, and snare locations via GPS-enabled smartphones, creating structured data to identify trafficking hotspots and guide strategic planning. Meanwhile, PoacherCams, which are cameras installed at certain locations such as forest entry points, ridge crossings, or trails frequently used by hunters, help the...
