The WILD LEO Project: Monitoring Illegal Activity in Protected Areas Using Geotagged Photographs

• In Event: The Study and Prevention of Wildlife Crime in Uganda

Abstract

Inside the world’s protected areas, criminal activities such as poaching, illegal plant harvesting and encroachment threaten biodiversity and the sustainability of wildlife populations. For those tasked with managing these areas, it is important to know where crime occurs and thus where law enforcement resources and community outreach programs should be focused. While handheld GPS units carried by ranger foot patrols are seen as a standard and essential tool for monitoring illegal activity, new technology exists that enables rangers to collect crime data more efficiently and in greater detail. Since 2013, the WILD LEO Project has been monitoring ranger patrol effort and illegal activity in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks in Uganda using digital cameras with integrated GPS units. Analysis of these data shows patrol effort and illegal activities are not evenly distributed; useful information for planning patrols and allocating manpower. Moreover, there was no general pattern of offending but rather distinct crime problems experienced in different sectors of the parks. An important finding was that the digital cameras used in the study were a useful research tool that helped rangers collect patrol data quickly, efficiently, and with minimal training.

Authors

• Andrew Lemieux, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR)

• Bazil Adrila, Uganda Wildlife Authority

• Jimmy Opido, Uganda Wildlife Authority

• Nelson Guma, Uganda Wildlife Authority