​IoT Technology May Be the Key to Protecting Our Wildlife

Wildlife poaching is a huge, growing problem posing extinction-level threats to animals in Asia, Africa, and South America. Highly sophisticated criminal networks hunting these endangered animals in search of massive paydays pose threats not only to animal populations, but to local communities which see an increase in violence and weapons trafficking directly linked to the illegal trade of the skins, pelts, and ivory of these magnificent beasts. Anti-poaching efforts are dangerous, difficult operations for law enforcement agencies that have limited resources and manpower to patrol countless acreage in search of armed criminals.

On the black market, rhino horn is one of the most valuable substances in existence. At more than $60,000 per pound, it sells for more than gold or diamonds, resulting in a $20 billion a year illegal trade industry. More than 1,000 rhinos are killed for their horns each year, decimating a global population of white rhinos which is currently under 20,000, and the near-extinct black rhino which numbers just above a mere 5,000. Despite massive conservation efforts across Asia and Africa, the growing demand for rhino horn has continued to elevate a black market where the horn is sold both as a status symbol, and as an ingredient in alternative medicines and aphrodisiacs–despite no scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness for such purposes.

With one of the largest populations of rhinoceros on the planet, South Africa has been a focus for conservation efforts that look to protect the animal. The rhino's population is in critical danger due to escalating poaching levels that have put conservationists into full-on crisis mode. While 2015 is the first year that poaching losses haven't increased, 1,175 animals were killed, 40 less than in 2015, making the decrease largely statistically insignificant, but still good news.

Considerable efforts have been made by both government and nonprofit organizations to combat poaching, ranging from increased military patrols of rhino habitats, introducing dye and poisons into the horns to make them worthless to dealers, to more extreme measures such as dehorning the animals entirely. The efforts to address the problem have thus far been largely ineffective. In South Africa's Kruger National Park, home to "somewhere between 8,400 and 9,300 rhinos," poaching is showing no signs of slowing down. Over 200 poachers were arrested in the park last year, and another 115 arrested outside of it.

To aid in the effort to combat poaching and preserve these majestic creatures, modern conservationists are increasingly turning to the Internet of Things as a way to efficiently monitor animal populations and movements across the far-reaching African savannahs. At the head of one such groundbreaking technological effort, Intel South Africa, in partnership with Vodafone and Dimension Data, are leading the charge for a markedly more high-tech solution to the challenging problem. Leveraging the power of the IoT, the team has created a multicomponent system to deter poaching efforts. The kit includes an RFID chip embedded in the rhino's horn, and an ankle monitor which is both used to track the location of the animal and to alert authorities if the proximity of the horn and ankle monitor changes, signifying an attempt to remove the horn. The ankle monitor is a Kevlar-encased, nearly indestructible device powered by an Intel® Galileo Board. The wearable tech is outfitted with a solar panel to recharge the device's battery as the rhino roams the wilderness, transmitting encrypted data through 3G to a central location and enabling authorities to monitor location and movement, while alerting them to the separation of the horn if such an unfortunate event occurs.

Data encryption is a key element to the success of this effort, as poachers who could gain access to the cloud could use it to pinpoint animal locations. To combat this, Dimension Data and Intel have employed full security measures to lock down hardware devices, wireless networks, and backend databases to protect from intrusion.

While tracking and sedating a 3,000 pound rhino in order to embed the RFID chip and secure the ankle monitor is an arduous process, it appears to be a cost-effective and sustainable solution to catching poachers–but not for truly preventing poaching.

The next step is to get ahead of the poachers, evolving the technology to monitor the animal's vitals, including heart rate and body temperature. This data will allow authorities to identify a rhino in distress. Upon receiving distress signals, drones can be deployed to monitor the animal, and anti-poaching teams can be sent to stop and apprehend the criminals–hopefully before permanent damage is done. IoT technology is touching nearly every aspect of our lives, and in many ways, could be the key to solving some of mankind's greatest problems. With many animals facing critical threats, the time to act is now.

Learn more about how you can get started with Intel® IoT

If you are a developer and want to help protect wildlife and change the world through Intel® IoT, explore some of the tools that are right at your fingertips:

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