New Communications Networks Safeguard Wildlife

In the northern frontier of Kenya, the warden and rangers of Samburu National Reserve scribbled notes on pads of paper, recording signs of poacher's campfires, illegal cattle grazing, and locations of wildlife. Until now, rangers scattered throughout the park had no way of communicating with each other over the vast acacia-studded landscape.

Thanks to Motorola and AWF, that's about to change.

AWF has delivered 41 Motorola radio handsets to the warden and rangers of Samburu National Reserve, supplying the tools to ensure the park will stay connected while the wildlife remain protected.

Expressing his gratitude to AWF's Vice President for Development Gregg Mitchell, Samburu's warden noted that AWF's efforts to procure the radios meant the difference between success and failure for his rangers. That's because Samburu-which is home to several rare species, including beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra-has only one patrol vehicle. The rangers must rely on good radio communications to coordinate antipoaching and wildlife monitoring efforts on the ground.

The radio handsets delivered to Samburu in December are part of a larger in-kind donation Motorola made last year. In all, the company donated 253 radio handsets valued at $114,000 to AWF projects and partners in six AWF Heartlands across eastern, southern, and central Africa.

"We are extremely grateful to Motorola for its generosity," says Mitchell, "and we hope this is the beginning of a long conservation partnership in which we can work together to provide fully-equipped communication networks."

The Role of Communications in Conservation

Where communication networks are fully equipped, conservation results have been remarkable. In Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, rhino populations have stabilized for the first time in twenty years, thanks in large part to a reliable radio network linking four observation posts that operate around the clock to prevent poaching.

At AWF's elephant research camp on the western slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, a network of Motorola radios and base stations allow game scouts hired from local communities to monitor elephant movements. The radios will also allow the scouts to quickly report threats to elephants or to anti-poaching staff working to protect them.

Banhine National Park, located in the southwestern part of Mozambique, contains important wetlands that attract a wide variety of migratory birds. Unfortunately, years of civil war have left the park largely unprotected. Motorola's radios will provide a communications link for AWF and others working to safeguard Banhine's wildlife while rebuilding the park's infrastructure.

Radio Us to Help!

Act now to help purchase more equipment to enable rangers and scouts to conduct their anti-poaching work more effectively. Your donation will go directly to the conservation of Africa's wildlife. Click here to act now.

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