The innovative and sophisticated GPS tracking device implanted in the rhino horns at the Mafikeng Game Reserve in the North West should be rolled out to all parks across the country says Mafikeng Game Reserve manager Louis Coetzee.
A limited number of rhino’s have been implanted with the device at the reserve as a pilot project against rhino poaching. Although it is still early, to determine the long term impact of the device as an effective deterrent against poaching. Mr. Coetzee is convinced the device is already proving to be effective and they are hoping to roll it out to other rhino’s within the park if funds are available.
Rhino poaching has been on the increase throughout South Africa in recently. Around 232 rhino’s have been killed in the country so far this year – 110 more than the whole of last year.
In an effort to curb the onslaught, the North West Parks and Tourism Board, together with a private company are piloting an advance monitoring technology to protect the rhino’s. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides reliable location and time information in all weather and at all times and anywhere on or near the Earth, when and where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.
The new technology, if successful, could prove to be more than a match for rhino poachers.
[Info from SABCnews.com]