Poachers beware! Counter-poaching organizations have a new app at their disposal to identify, track, and destroy elephant poaching networks thanks to Fulcrum.
Businesses and municipalities have used Fulcrum for years to collect forms and field data efficiently. They deploy customizable smartphone apps, allowing users to gather data directly from the field with ease. Similarly, conservationists in Kenya’s savannahs now rely on Fulcrum’s geospatial technology to track elephant poachers. This technology pinpoints poachers and smugglers, enabling rapid alerts to wildlife authorities. As a result, authorities can then act swiftly to stop poachers before they have a chance to strike again.
IFAW and Kenya Wildlife Service partnership
The tenBoma initiative unites IFAW and the Kenya Wildlife Service to fight poaching. Together, they identify, map, and dismantle poaching networks to protect Kenya’s wildlife.
“IFAW’s tenBoma project is taking the lessons learned from counter-terrorism and applying them to wildlife protection. Fulcrum is a powerful new weapon being used in the battle to destroy poaching networks,” said Azzedine Downes, IFAW President and CEO.
As counter-poaching patrols use Fulcrum app-equipped smartphones, they traverse the plains, actively searching for poachers. Additionally, they plot their observations on a real-time map, which is shared with authorities and wardens. Then teams assemble reports from the field at a new crime tracking center for detailed analysis. Afterward, the center shares this information with local law enforcement and government agencies to combat poaching more effectively.
“The tenBoma initiative is one of the most important internationally-based projects to effectively address the problem of illegal wildlife trade”, noted Dr. John Konarski, CEO of the American Geographical Society. “The work of the Fulcrum team on the tenBoma initiative is recognized world-wide as a model for combatting the effects of illegal wildlife trafficking on global security. The experts at Fulcrum, and its smartphone technology, lead the industry in having a real and practical impact on fighting terrorism and protecting our wildlife. AGS is very proud of what tenBoma and Fulcrum have already accomplished and look forward to working closely with them in the future” added Dr. Konarski.
About IFAW
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world. Founded in 1969, IFAW’s mission is to “rescue and protect animals around the world” through hands-on international campaigns and projects to achieve global influence and impact. For more information about IFAW, visit their website at ifaw.org.
About tenBoma
tenBoma has just began the second stage of its counter-poaching initiative, actively deploying teams into the Kenyan grassland for geospatial analysis and field intelligence collection. The tenBoma initiative is a collaborative partnership between IFAW, the Kenyan Wildlife Service, & geospatial partners Fulcrum, Agile Analytics, and Boundless. For more information on tenBoma, please visit IFAW’s project page.