How can we … use machine learning to enhance anti-poaching measures?
30 September 2025
Africa supports an extraordinary range of habitats and animals, but its biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. For example, the populations of monitored vertebrates have declined by 76% between 1970 and 2020 and numerous landscapes are under threats from human exploitations. Currently, 19% of Africa’s land is protected to conserve nature and provide ecosystem services for humans. This percentage is expected to increase in a few years following a global commitment for protected areas to cover 30% of the earth by 2030. However, many of the existing protected areas (PAs) are only ‘paper parks’ because, despite being established legally, they lack effective management, leaving them vulnerable to threats such as illegal logging and poaching. Rangers play a crucial role in detecting illegal activities and preventing further violations in protected areas. But growing up around Nigeria’s Cross River National Park and embarking on patrols here with rangers for almost two years, I noticed that patrol deployment could be improved to maximise limited human and financial resources.
