Protect Endangered Species

Tracking Elephants with Wireless Technology

Saving nature is at the very heart of what we do at WWF. As part of this commitment, we are harnessing the potential of a new wireless connection technology, similar to Wi-Fi but using a different range of frequencies, to help track elephants and monitor their movements across large and remote areas. Through a pilot program using a new technology called LoRaWAN (Long-Range, Wide Area Network), WWF and our partners are exploring innovative methods of wildlife monitoring.

This private, wireless network is designed for long-range, low-power data transmission between devices equipped with the long-range technology – in this case collars called ElephantEdge, developed by SmartParks. Unlike traditional satellite GPS collars, this technology allows scientists to monitor the collared elephants much more frequently – approximately every five minutes as opposed to only a few times a day. Additionally, the batteries in the collars have a lifespan of around seven years, compared to the one- or two-year lifespan of traditional GPS collars. Furthermore, these advanced collars weigh significantly less, reducing the burden on individual elephants.

Testing the Collars

As part of this pilot project, we are tracking ten young elephants from Game Rangers International’s elephant rescue and release facility in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Many of these calves found themselves at this facility after losing their mothers to poaching and human-wildlife conflict. This facility is helping gradually reintegrate these young elephants back into the wild, so testing the collars on them while they still rely on the facility but are free to explore during the day can help keep them out of trouble and send alerts to rangers if they get too close to communities. With African elephant populations dwindling from an estimated 12 million a century ago to approximately 400,000 today, and with at least 20,000 elephants killed in Africa each year for their tusks, initiatives such as this are crucial for conservation efforts.

“The elephants are free to come and go during the day but return to the facility at night,” explains Eric Becker, WWF-US’s lead engineering specialist for wildlife conservation. “This gives us the opportunity to easily monitor and troubleshoot the collars for any tech issues or remove them if they’re impacting the elephant’s safety. It’s more cost-effective and allows us to address any problems much quicker than if we were using wild elephants.”

Using the Data

Following the analysis of data gathered during the pilot project, WWF and its partners will evaluate its success and explore possibilities for adapting the technology for use with wild elephants and other species. Initially, the information gathered from this project will be used to enhance management strategies, identify wildlife corridors, and safeguard elephants and other wildlife in the region. However, with its long-range capabilities, versatility, and low power consumption, this exciting new technology solution can also be considered for other conservation interventions. A few possible uses include vehicle tracking, managing human-wildlife conflict, and monitoring environmental factors such as waterflows, weather patterns, and fires.   

How you can help!

WWF is dedicated not only to the conservation of these magnificent creatures but also to preserving the habitats they share with numerous other species, from lions to zebras and antelopes. By supporting our projects, and sharing them with your family, friends, and colleagues, you can help support WWF’s efforts to monitor and protect elephants and in turn deliver benefits to our ecosystems, local communities, our planet, and ourselves. Together, we can make a difference in protecting endangered elephant populations and the precious ecosystems they inhabit around the globe!           

Links:

• Read the full article here
• Learn more about WWF's wildlife conservation work
• Learn more about the threats facing elephants

Importance of Asian Elephants

Asian elephants are the second largest land mammals in the world, behind African elephants. They inhabit both dry and wet forests as well as grassland habitats in 13 range countries across South and Southeast Asia. Known as both ecosystem engineers and gardeners of the forest, they play a critical role in dispersing seeds, fertilizing the land that helps plants and forests grow, creating pathways through dense forests, and changing the forest terrain for the benefit of other animals. Even their footprints can form small ecosystems that can serve as habitats for much smaller organisms such as tadpoles.

The presence of Asian elephants can also support the health and survival of the people and communities living among them. Elephant conservation can provide alternative livelihood opportunities, including sustainable tourism, which can benefit local communities and foster a future for humans and wildlife. By conserving these magnificent creatures, we also uphold the cultural and historical values associated with elephants which hold a significant place in the region’s customs, traditions, and religions.

Threats Facing African Elephants

Unfortunately, African elephants are globally endangered and are especially threatened in Southeast Asia and China, with only 8,000-11,000 wild elephants sharing space in densely populated countries including Cambodia, China, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Today, an average of 70% of elephants can be found outside of protected areas.

Habitat loss and degradation, loss of range connectivity, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching are all threats causing alarming population declines in African elephants. Urgent action is needed to halt these declines, protect wild elephants, and foster sustainable levels of coexistence.

What WWF is Doing

That is why WWF is launching an ambitious regional conservation alliance, the Asian Elephant Alliance (AEA), which aims to tackle the threats faced by wild elephants in Southeast Asia and China by addressing the drivers of population declines, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. In partnership with governments, the private sector, and local communities, this alliance seeks to secure and restore wild elephant habitats and improve human-elephant conflict management with the goal of having thriving elephant and human communities.

The Asian Elephant Alliance identities three main pillars of work:

1. Securing Elephant Habitats: Focusing on protecting, managing, connecting, and restoring priority elephant habitats
2. Living with Elephants: Managing human-elephant conflict in an integrated and holistic manner and promoting a sustainable level of human-elephant coexistence
3. Restoring Elephant Populations: Understanding elephant population dynamics and health and bringing them up to viable and stable levels by reducing poaching and improving wildlife management

The key goal of this effort is to improve regional coordination and capacity, raise awareness of the plight of Asian elephants in the region, bring in resources to achieve impact at scale, and increase momentum for elephant conservation.

How you can help!

WWF is working to not only conserve these marvelous creatures, but also preserve their habitats which are shared by many other species, from tadpoles to orangutans and tigers. By supporting our projects, and sharing them with your family, friends, and colleagues, you can help support WWF in protecting Asian elephants and in turn delivering benefits to our forest ecosystems, local communities, our planet, and ourselves. Together, we can protect endangered elephant populations and precious ecosystems around the globe!   

Links:

• Watch this video to learn more
• Learn more about the AEA here
• Click here to learn more about the Asian elephant