Int'l wildlife body launches anti-poaching initiative

A wildlife conservation organization, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), has launched an anti-poaching initiative designed to stop poachers before they kill.

IFAW President and CEO Azzedine Downes launched TenBoma, a community partnership approach to stop poaching at a reception in Nairobi, capital of Kenya on Monday evening.

"For too long the focus has been on monitoring species and products and not enough attention has been given to the networks that drive the illicit trade. TenBoma seeks to fill this gap," Downes told journalists in Nairobi.

TenBoma is a communications-based initiative that uses cutting edge technology and sophisticated data analysis to allow law enforcement agencies to predict poaching events in advance, so they can get in front of the poachers before wildlife is killed.

The initiative integrates a collaborative geospatial monitoring platform to marry data collection with targeted analysis and dissemination of information to identify and act on poaching associated indicators.

The unique analytic approach utilized by TenBoma maps both patterns in poaching related indicators as well as the organized criminal syndicates that support and facilitate the criminal activity.

This enables Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to intercept poachers prior to the elephant's slaughter, IFAW said.

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Professor Judi Wakhungu said the initiative, being piloted in partnership with the KWS, is a community partnership approach that will include other stakeholders working in wildlife-rich areas.

"Kenya is determined to protect our elephants, we will do everything in our power to destroy the poaching networks and we are proud to be involved in this innovative pilot project," Wakhungu said. Enditem