How has poaching affected elephants?
Poaching is the illegal killing and trading of wild animals. It is mostly done to sell animal body parts such as fur, organs, bones, teeth, etc.
In the 1980s, poaching caused a lot of elephant deaths. In 1989, many countries signed an agreement called CITES was signed. CITES banned animal trading. This helped improve the elephant population.
Unfortunately, poaching still continues despite CITES being signed. This is because of many reasons, like people not following the law in some countries.
Is anyone doing anything about it?
Many countries are trying to stop poaching by making new laws. But, it is not only countries that are attempting to reduce poaching. Recently, Anika Puri, a teenage girl, invented a low-cost tool that can help spot elephant poachers.
She developed ElSa (short for elephant [[saviour::Someone who saves another from any kind of harm.]]). This low-cost software records the movement patterns of humans and elephants.
Oh wow! How does this technology work?
EISa requires only a low-cost [[thermal camera::A type of camera that can show the temperature of different things in an image.]], an iPhone, and a drone. The iPhone and the camera are attached to a drone. While flying over an area, ElSa uses movement to identify whether the things below are elephants or people.
Can this technology be used for other purposes?
Yes. ElSa can be used for other purposes too. It can be used for tracking and studying other animals. This information can be used to learn more about animals and how they affect the environment.
Anika wants to develop EISa so it can also track other animals like rhinos. Puri also plans to use her software in African national parks.
If you study hard, even you will be able to develop such software. We must be proud of Anika’s achievements. Is there any software you'd want to create?
Quick Revision
• Poaching is illegal killing of elephants for tusks. In the 1980s, many elephants were killed and their numbers dropped.
• In 1989, countries signed CITES to ban animal trade. It helped, but poaching still happens in some places.
• A girl named Anika Puri made a low-cost tool called ElSa to help stop poachers.
• ElSa uses a drone, thermal camera, and iPhone to spot humans and elephants by their movement.
• It can also help track other animals like rhinos and protect wildlife.
