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Google Glass and drones leading the fight against poaching in Nepal

Conservation group experimenting with Google Glass and drones to protect endangered species

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A Bengal tiger with a satellite radio collar. Photo: WWF

An animal welfare group in Nepal has concluded an experiment with Google Glass that uses the wearable computing device to help track and document the characteristics of endangered rhinos as part of efforts to combat poaching.

The exercise is part of Nepal's attempts to harness new technologies to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, which poses a threat to the country's vulnerable and endangered species.

The World Wide Fund for Nature Nepal is using an ID-based monitoring system rigged up to researchers wearing Glass to track rhinos. The smart glasses follow voice commands to document the location of the animals through GPS and capture their movements and individual characteristics on camera. This information along with details about the surrounding habitat is uploaded to a database known as Monitoring Information System Technology.

The information is stored in a system readily accessible to authorities.

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Sabita Malla, a senior researcher at the WWF, said traditional methods of inputting such data on rhinos take days, so the experiment with the device represents a promising step forward.

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