>> If the ocean's not healthy, we’re not
healthy. >> One of the greatest threats to elephants
today is… >> They'll be able to take photographs, videos,
that are G.P.S. located, immediately upload to Google Earth and use this as a way to protect
the forest. [pause] >> IAIN DOUGLAS-HAMILTON: The elephants right
now, in Africa, are facing a particularly tough time.
There is the most terrible drought that’s biting into their population.
And at the same time, the price of ivory has gone up and the poaching is increasing.
In the past, elephants in large parts of East Africa and Central Africa were almost wiped
out by the ivory trade. We’re very worried that there could be another
major outbreak of legal killing. Our organization, "Save the Elephants," primarily
looks at elephant decision making through studying their movements.
So if we can get inside the elephant by interpreting the motivation for different movements, then
we can understand their needs. And if we truly understand their needs, maybe
we can meet these and secure their future. We’ve been using Google Earth as a very
easy way to find out what our elephants are up to, and where they are going.
It links in perfectly to our remote tracking system, so the information is almost a continuous
stream of the elephants’ whereabouts. When an elephants stops moving, we can then
send a Google Earth file indicating the place where the elephant has stopped.
Then, the Kenya Wildlife Service can send out a patrol to go and investigate.
If nothing were to be done by any government to protect elephants, they would probably
be wiped out. We’re at a crucial stage now, where we can
act and help management to take wise decisions using the information that we’re getting
through the tracking, and displayed by Google Earth.
