People
Jackie Chan has made a name for himself as a Hollywood action hero, and for being one of China’s most famous actors, but he has also gained a reputation as a wildlife hero. The actor is fighting to save endangered animals by inspiring his fans to stop buying ivory, Rhino horn, and other products used for Chinese medicine. Some of our most famous people, for example Prince William, David Beackham and Yao Ming are Anti-animal poaching, in fact these three influential public figures are supporters of Wild Aid (a anti animal poaching organization in China). It is important that organizations like Wild Aid have powerful public influences on board, it makes it much easier for the public to become aware of the rising issue across the globe.
Technology
The use of technology to help stop animal poachers is being used more often to stop/prevent the issue. In May 2013, the team at the University of Maryland’s Institute for Advanced Computer Studies added unmanned drones or aerial vehicles to their armory. All drones that work for anti animal poaching organizations have three key features; a Google map interface, cameras and inferred sensors. These things both help to track where animals are being poached but the drones also help to tell the institute where to place the wildlife rangers to stop/prevent the poaching, and this technique is working; there has been no poaching in Balule for over a year, poachers are too scared to go a place where little machines (drones) fly in the sky during day and night, watching their every move. However Google is investing 5 million dollars into drones to help track and stop poachers as well. It is hard for organizations to make a difference without available funding to use, and that’s where Google comes into the picture. With the 5 million dollars in funding, WWWF is able to improve their drones and have more drones in more regions of Africa.