The Kafue National Park and the Game Management Areas surrounding it, are vast expanses of land with a variety of threats including poaching, wildfires, and encroachment. To be able to monitor the area in real time is vital to protecting the wildlife and wild spaces.
Game Rangers International have been implementing EarthRanger technology since early 2021. The program collects and displays reports from the field, including real-time tracking data from ranger teams, vehicles, and collared animals into one unified web-based view. As the Ranger units and supporting teams develop their knowledge of EarthRanger, with training supported by USAID VuKaNow the more useful it will become in the fight to protect the landscape.
Members of SAPU KAZA receive EarthRanger training
As an example of its abilities here is the last month of elephant orphan Tafika’s movements. As a fully released orphan, Tafika is entirely free roaming, however, he is still, very much drawn to the Release Facility as we can see from the pivotal point of his wanderings.
Tafika, now a free roaming elephant
He has travelled a mighty 156 kms in the period recorded (1 month). As more elephants are fitted with GPS collars, we will be able to see the trending movements of the herds, thus allowing us to focus our operations on these spaces so we can protect them more efficiently.
Tafika's movement
EarthRanger is proving vital in the fight against the threats of natural resources.
