WWF Nepal are among a number a number of organisations calling for increased use of GPS in Chitwan National Park, proposing that two endangered Royal Bengal Tigers and 40 rhinos be tracked using the space-based technology.

Greatly Improved

The concerned agencies plan to link the GPS with another technology called GIS (Global Information System). The amalgamation of the two is the latest MIST (Management of Information System Technology) technology used for intelligence gathering and movement tracking and should greatly improve authorities ability to protect these species.

Knowledge is everything in the war against poachers in Nepal. By improving tracking and monitoring of species, authorities are able to better allocate resources once a more in-depth knowledge of movement patterns is understood.

More Accurate Picture

With closer monitoring of individual animals, the MIST will also give a more accurate picture of how populations of the species rise and fall. One of the biggest stumbling blocks for conservation is that authorities can often only estimate the numbers of an animal remaining. This creates the dual problems of possible resources being wasted on animals whose numbers may be higher than estimates or not enough being allocated to those under greater threat.

Having accurate figures for the number of animals left in a population will also be a powerful tool for lobbying governments and other organisations. If there is hard evidence that animals’ numbers are suffering a sharp decline, then it will be much more likely to spark remedial action than anecdotal evidence that can be much more easily ignored.

Quick Implementation

Director of WWF-Nepal Ghana Gurung said, “We are preparing to introduce MIST at the earliest for conservation purpose.” He further said that it will be implemented as soon as 12 officers from concerned agencies, along with three Nepal Army personnel, receive training from Thailand.

Nepal Army, on the other hand, has persuaded the government to equip more animals with GPS to make the tracking more effective.

“At least 400 rhinos and 200 tigers should be equipped with GPS so that poaching can be effectively curbed,” a highly-placed NA source said.

Haven

The Chitwan National Park should be a haven of protection for animals, yet still the effects of poaching are felt. Importantly though, the numbers of animals that have been killed by hunters has been steadily falling .

Chief Warden of CNP Narendraman Babu Pardhan, said, “Although we have not been able to stop poaching altogether, the actual number has not increased in comparison to the last six years.”

Pradhan said that 11 rhinos have succumbed in the hands of the poachers this fiscal year so far, while the number was 12 previous year.

“More deaths have been reported in four months starting from Chaitra to Asar,” Pradhan said, adding, “Going by the trend, we cannot say that poaching has crossed all limits this year.”

In areas such as this, where the protection offered by a National Park already gives authorities more of a chance to put a halt to poaching, provide crucial places for at-risk species to recover. If the improved MIST can be implemented, it could be the boost needed to rid the National Park of the threat of poaching once and for all.