South Africa game reserve turns to AI to combat rhino poaching

Thanda Safari, a Big Five game reserve in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province, has started using AI-driven technology to track and monitor its rhino populations.

Previously, Thanda Safari used various methods including foot collars and horn pods to monitor their black and white rhino populations. However, there were important limitations with these approaches. For example, the use of telemetry units requires line-of-sight, with no direct data recording capabilities or GPS functionality.

The newly developed AI-enabled collars continuously observe, analyze and learn to identify behavior patterns specific to each rhino. When registering abnormal activity related to a possible poaching attempt, fighting, mating, giving birth or illness, the collar triggers an instant alert on rangers’ phones, pinpointing the incident’s precise location via GPS. This facilitates rapid response and investigation.

This is particularly important as South Africa faces a pressing issue with rhino poaching, with statistics highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts. In 2022 alone South Africa lost 448 rhinos to poaching.

Thanda Safari’s adoption of advanced AI-driven technology represents a significant step forward in combating poaching and preserving rhinos for future generations.

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