3 incredible innovations against poaching

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This bloody practice puts hundreds of species in danger of extinction. Here we tell you 3 innovative ways to help finish it

Poaching has become a lucrative business. The sale of fangs, horns, and skins on the black market have led to more than 300 species are in danger of extinction. However, despite efforts to mitigate it, hunters continue to carry out this activity that leaves lucrative profits. Discovery Channel says that this practice moves "between 8,000 and 20,000 million euros a year."

Leer en español: 3 increíbles innovaciones contra la caza furtiva

Unfortunately, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the ruthless killing of animals to sell their coveted parts leaves on average 30,000 elephants, 1,000 rhinos, and 100 dead tigers annually.

The good news is that different organizations are working to end poaching. With the idea of dismantling the networks that are dedicated to illegally hunting animals and discovering the mechanisms that are used in the black market, in South Africa, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom, innovative and technological strategies are being implemented.

UN Environment made a compilation of the top 3 innovations to stop this practice and here we bring it:

1. GPS on the horns of rhinos

The Sigfox Foundation uses GPS technology in the rhino horns to track them. On average, as explained on the foundation's page, the devices are non-invasive and the battery can last up to 5 years.

The device costs an average of $ 50 dollars and emits the carrier's location 3 times throughout the day, which helps rangers to monitor the animals.

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The Sigfox plan does not end with the GPS devices and they also bet on motion sensors that notify the managers about the movements in the reserves.

2. Turtle 3D eggs

The commercialization of turtle eggs in Costa Rica puts this species even more in danger. Statistics show that only 5 of 100 turtles manage to reach the sea. Even more alarming is the fact that buying and consuming eggs from endangered species is a growing activity.

To stop this practice, the UN reports that "Paso Pacifico scientists are printing sea turtle eggs in 3D to use them as decoys and discover where they are sold." Paso Pacifico members designed fake eggs the size of ping-pong balls with a GPS inside to track where they are being carried. The idea is to discover who is hiding behind the sale of these eggs, whose prices range between 5 and 20 dollars.

3. Forensic science against hunting

In the United Kingdom, forensic science methods are being used to identify poachers. Specifically, the UN explains, methods are being used to find fingerprints on trapped pangolin scales, the most trafficked mammal on the planet.

The scales of this animal are sold on the black market for traditional Asian medicine. World Animal Protection estimates that between 2000 and 2013 more than one million pangolins were caught to obtain their scales.

LatinAmerican Post | Marcela Peñaloza
Translated from "3 increíbles innovaciones contra la caza furtiva"