Thermal Technology Promises to Halt Poaching of Rhinos

The global illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth up to $23 billion per year, fueling the poaching of some of Africa’s most iconic and threatened species such as rhinos. The population of Africa’s black rhino declined significantly in the 20th century to less than 2,500 in 1995. Thanks to persistent conservation efforts across Africa, today their number exceeds 5,000 individuals. Kenya has a just over 700 black rhinos, despite persistent poaching threats that imperil decades of conservation success. Poachers primarily operate at night, stealing into parks and private reserves under cover of darkness. Equipped with little more than flashlights, park rangers have virtually no chance of intercepting them. To tackle this challenge, the World Wildlife Fund has been working to equip park rangers with night vision technology.