Situation
The use of guns to poach rhinos is a significant environmental concern in Africa where
the horn of a single rhino can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the vast expanse of Kruger National Park, most poaching incidents go undetected with carcasses found days or weeks after the fact.
Results
Since the introduction of SoundThinking’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection system to detect, locate and alert park rangers to gunfire incidents in less than 60 seconds, there have been multiple poacher apprehensions within the coverage area. In 2018, ShotSpotter incrementally expanded to 100 square km inside the Intensified Protection Zone (IPZ) of Kruger National Park. IPZ is one of the world’s major hotspots for rhino poaching.
60%
Of the world’s remaining rhino live in the IPZ
58%
Reduction in the number of rhino killed in the coverage area
>50%
Interception rate within the coverage area
ShotSpotter was modified for use in the wilderness with sensors mounted on trees or masts and adapted to solar power. The system is helping park rangers respond with greater speed and accuracy to gunfire in Kruger National Park so they can take poaching teams out of circulation.
“ShotSpotter has allowed us to take back the night,” said Ken Maggs, Head Ranger of the Kruger National Park. “We now have an interception rate well above 50% within the coverage area, which means the poachers are literally flipping a coin when they come in.
