Predator becomes prey: Google-funded drones to hunt poachers in Africa

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/predator-becomes-prey-google-funded-drones-hunt-poachers-africa-1C7456194

Google has awarded a $5 million grant to the World Wildlife Fund to use and adapt new technologies to combat animal poaching around the world. The group has grand plans for the money, which will be used for everything from camera-equipped drones to next-generation animal tags that send text messages with critical information to rangers.

"We needed to find other ways where we could detect and deter poachers," Crawford Allan, head of wildlife trade organization TRAFFIC North America and one of the WWF's on-call experts, told NBC News. "It's been fairly rudimentary in places where there are very precious species to protect."

Poacher operations have grown in scale and sophistication, despite efforts to curb them. Rhinos used to be poached at a rate of 15 or 20 per year in Africa — but now, because of high demand for rhino horn coming primarily from Asia, over 600 have been killed this year alone. Statistics for elephants and tigers are equally disturbing.

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Part of the money has to go to such logistical concerns as updating laptops, buying gas for patrols, and making sure people on the ground are safe and well-supplied. But such a large grant also means the WWF can finally deploy technologies it's been waiting on for years.

For instance: Drones. Not fully autonomous ones, but human-piloted platforms that can relay information like acoustic signals and infrared imaging in real time to their operators and patrols on the ground.

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A new type of tag is in the works that would work on a similar system to a GSM cellphone, and would not only be lighter and stronger, but would last longer (up to two years) and be able to collect and transmit far more data.

Animals' tags could text park rangers with the animals' location and status, or retain and transmit other rich data. And they should only cost around $250 each — peanuts compared with the tags the WWF uses now, each which can cost as much as $4,500, with extra fees for satellite coverage.

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