Sophisticated technology brings the number of rhino poached to almost zero in private reserve
Species conservation winner: Connected Conservation, Dimension Data and Cisco
‘If I have one passionate dream, it is to eradicate all forms of poaching,” says Bruce Watson, group executive, Cisco Alliance: Dimension Data. “That to me would be one of the most successful things I could achieve in my life.”
No small feat, but one which Watson is working on through his Connected Conservation initiative, a groundbreaking project that uses multi-level technology to monitor human movement around rhino-rich areas.
The goal is to proactively intervene and stop people entering a reserve (we can only say that it is near Kruger National Park, for security reasons) illegally — whether it’s cutting fences, being dropped on the ground by helicopters, or simply driving in through the entrance gates.
“Every day, hundreds of staff, suppliers, contractors, security personnel and tourists enter and exit game reserves,” continues Watson. “The human activity in these environ- ments is not monitored because, typically, the reserve is in a remote location with basic IT infrastructure and access control, manual security processes, and very limited communication.”
This kind of security has been previously impossible due to poor Wi-fi connections. Watson leveraged his relationship with Cisco, forming a partnership under the Connected Conservation banner, which allows them to deploy some of the world’s most sophisticated technology.
“This solution proactively tracks and monitors the movement of people from when they enter the reserve gates to when they exit, to protect, and create a safe haven for the rhino,” he says. “Since the technology was deployed two years ago, there has been a 96% reduction in the number of rhinos poached in the private reserve, as well as a 68% decrease of incursions into the reserve.”
“With our Connected Conservation technology, we don’t touch the animals by darting them with tranquilisers to insert sensors into their horns, or inserting a chip under their skin. This can be extremely stressful and risky for the animal and we’ve seen a number of rhinos dying, or going blind and having to be euthanased.”
Phase one of the project started in November 2015, with Dimension Data working closely with Cisco to gather information from game rangers, security personnel, technology, and control centre teams. The first step was to create a secure Reserve Area Network and install Wi-fi hotspots in key points.
Phase two is now underway and includes CCTV; drones with infra- red cameras; thermal imaging; vehicle tracking sensors and seismic sensors on an extremely secure, intelligent network.
The system uses solar energy as an energy source and the technology used (sensors, cameras, and scanners) has no environmental impact, making Connected Conservation an environmentally sustainable solution.
Over time, the technology will be replicated in other reserves in South Africa, Africa, and globally, to not only protect rhino, but conserve other endangered species including elephants, lions, pangolins, tigers in India and Asia, and even rays in the ocean.