Technology Assisted Counter Poaching
An Amur Tiger Protection Initiative
Summary
Each year counter-poaching becomes an increasingly important issue in wild tiger survival. Tigers, now largely confined to "protected" game reserves, are being killed, processed, and distributed by organized crime networks to meet the increasing demand for the now illegal traditional "medicines." Security forces in these reserves currently are unable to stop this growing threat. Our Technology Assisted Counter-Poaching (TACP) initiative offers a near-term solution in some limited areas and may be extendible to a wider range of counter-poaching issues.
Contents:
The TACP Network was organized by Dr. Ron Pandolfi to provide the international endangered species protection community with advanced surveillance systems to counter growing poaching threats from organized crime. Our first objective is to assist in counter poaching of wild tigers. TACP is composed of physical scientists and engineers with expertise in the most advanced surveillance technologies, is skilled in systems trades, is sensitive to policy issues, is not wedded to any single technology, and has a track record of success in solving the most difficult national security problems. TACP will form partnerships with the endangered species protection community and governments and enforcement agencies in the areas of deployment to assure an effective implementation. TACP will remain available for consultation as need arises. TACP will seek no compensation other than time and expenses; it will make concepts, studies, and results available without cost to any directed/interested party.
A new threat to wild tiger survival has emerged in the past decade, an insatiable demand for tiger parts in "traditional medicines," that unless checked could decimate all wild tigers within the next decade. Tiger parts have been used to produce traditional "medicines" for over a thousand years, but recent changes in the economy and social structure of the Far East, have dramatically increased demand. To meet this demand, a new network of poachers, traffickers, and distributors has emerged with ties to organized crime. Every year the population of tigers significantly decreases. At the turn of the century, the world's population of tigers was approximately 100,000; today their numbers have plummeted to a mere 4,000 or less, with three of the eight subspecies already extinct. The opening of Russia's borders to China has provided poachers access to the few remaining Amur (Siberian) tigers. Park security forces are unable to counter this growing threat. International efforts are underway to help protect the tiger, but these primarily involve studying the animals' behavior as well as defining their ecology. In some regions, biologists are collaring tigers and using radiotelemetry to track them for observation purposes. These studies, though important to tiger survival, do not in themselves provide the basis for more effective counter-poaching.
Our first project will be to test the application of unattended ground sensors (UGS) to counter poaching of wild tigers. This general class of sensors includes the primitive sensors used during the 1960s to detect vehicle and foot soldier activity along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Recent developments in signal processing and telecommunications technologies, and a significant investment by the United States Department of Defense, has revolutionized this class of sensors giving longer lifetime, enhanced performance, and reduced cost.
We believe UGS can be used to provide the wildlife authorities with near-real-time notification of the presence and location of poachers in tiger reserves, including information on their ground vehicles, direction and speed of movement, and armaments-capabilities similar to those provided in defense applications. Authorities will be warned at the time poachers enter the area and will be vectored to the area of the incursion. As authorities move to intercept the poachers, the UGS-generated information received will be updated as the poachers move or undertake different poaching related activities.
The proposed architecture is an array of ground sensors which perform local signal processing on a variety of target signatures. The sensors (including seismic, acoustic, magnetic, and passive infrared detectors) will be placed along routes of suspected or known tiger or poacher activity. The sensors will be selected and sited based on well founded assumptions about the behavior of both the tigers and poachers.
When intruders are detected, the target detection messages will be transmitted in near-real-time back to a security center. This center will contain a computerized and detailed map display of the park with an overlay depicting the GPS-derived grid coordinate locations of all sensors in an alarm status and display and record the types of targets detected and the times of detection.
Response teams will be equipped with hand held radio receivers to update them on new target detection messages as they move to interdict the suspected poachers. Since both the magnetic and passive infrared sensors determine the direction of movement of targets, the response teams will be able to move to the best possible interdiction point. Since the seismic, acoustic, and magnetic sensors can be used to classify and count the targets and the presence (or absence) of weapons, the response teams will be better equipped to deal with the intruders. The computerized map display in the security center will route the response teams along the most direct access roads to the incursion area, and the security center will continue to assess other incoming target detection messages for pattern analysis while the response teams disperse.
Key personnel on this program will include Dr. Ron Pandolfi, executive director, Dr. Owen Lewis, project advisor, Mr. Bill Manchuk, communications systems engineer, Mr. Allen Thomson, Russian technology advisor, and Ms. Shelly Werner-Hood, program analyst and coordinator.
Dr. Ron Pandolfi is a senior project director with broad expertise on the most advanced surveillance technologies supporting law enforcement and national security issues.
Dr. Owen Lewis is in charge of a highly technical organization which develops physics-based simulation and modeling tools to assist in evaluating the performance of conceptual surveillance networks.
Mr. Bill Manchuk is a senior communications systems engineer with more than 20 years of practical experience with ground surveillance systems.
Mr. Allen Thomson is a senior systems analyst who specializes in Russian sensor technologies.
Ms. Shelly Werner-Hood is key to the analysis and management aspect of the project. Her management and data analysis experience is significant in coordinating the overall project and evaluating its' impact.
Mr. Steven Galster of the Global Security network will assist in development of an optimized surveillance architecture. Mr. Galster has first hand experience with counter-poaching operations and a detailed knowledge of the history of tiger poaching in the Russian Far East.
Mr. Skip Marsh of Kaman Sciences Corporation will assist in the design and implementation of the UGS network. Kaman Sciences is a leading systems integrator for UGS with experience in surveillance projects covering areas in excess of 500 square kilometers. Mr. Marsh is an expert at determining appropriate sensor mix, performing system trade studies, and implementing UGS procurement to include fielding, training, and maintenance.
The Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve may be an ideal area for UGS deployment. The reserve, located in the northernmost part of Primorye Krai in the Russian Far East, is about 4,000 square kilometers with a tiger population of approximately 10, with an average home range size of adult female tigers of approximately 450 square kilometers.
Radio-tracking of tigers over the past 3 years has provided accurate data on tiger movements in the reserve and poaching activities. Areas of greatest poaching risk are few roadways through the reserve, water holes, and clearings. These constitute but a small percentage of the total reserve, suggesting high potential for UGS in counter-poaching.
Phase I - Site Selection
Site selection will be made collaboratively by the Sponsor, TACP, the Global Security Network, and Kaman Sciences. Selection will be based on a review of environmental, biological, and poaching data available from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as well as discussions with Department of State on efficacy of bilateral cooperation.
Phase II - Site Survey and Assessment
TACP and Kaman Sciences will conduct a 3-5 day site visit and survey with the following objectives:
- a) Develop a threat assessment based on site staff inputs.
- b) Visit candidate sensor and repeater areas and develop a downselected list of sensor and repeater installation sites including the types and quantities of sensors to be emplaced.
- c) Verify UGS radio performance between selected sensor and repeater sites and the base receiver station.
- d) Verify target detection capabilities at selected types of sensor installation sites.
- e) Develop and summarize an understanding of seasonal climatological effects on the outdoor sensor and repeater sites.
- f) Develop a comprehensive UGS system installation graphic depicting the UGS laydown plan proposed for poacher intrusion detection.
- g) Develop a proposed response plan to be executed by the site staff for situations when intruders are detected.
- h) Assess the amount of UGS-related training required for the site security staff.
Each of the steps above require the development of written plans. These plans will be drafted on-site and will be finalized upon return to the United States. The 3-5 day period refers to the actual period of time to be spent at the site completing the listed actions.
Immediately following the site survey, detailed installation planning will be conducted during a period of 2-3 months. Written plans will be finalized and confirmed with the site security staff points of contact and the Sponsor.
The UGS hardware system will be ordered from the vendor or acquired on a loan basis from a US Government source with all ancillaries required for the site. This equipment will include the basic set for field installation plus spares for unforeseen requirements and equipment failures. Once the hardware is received, its performance will be verified and it will be boxed and shipped to the site.
Final logistical details will be arranged with the site staff including UGS system installation dates, training session dates on UGS system operation, equipment, and personnel arrival dates.
Phase III - UGS System Installation and Operations
Installation and training will be conducted after the equipment has reached the appropriate recipient Port of Entry and has cleared Customs. These steps will be verified before the UGS installation team leaves the United States.
The estimated time period for actual installation will be based on the number of sensors and repeaters installed at the geographically separate sites.
Assuming that the site security staff members are to be trained on operation and installation of the UGS system, an estimated two days of training will be required, in addition to the installation period. It is expected that these staff members would also participate directly in the field installation of the UGS sensors and repeaters as part of the system training period.
The additional two days of training will include mission planning for additional installations at new sites, operator training for incoming intrusion alert messages, and system troubleshooting. The anticipated maintenance plan for the system is Direct Exchange, that is, no operator level component troubleshooting and repair will be expected; exchange will be by replacement with spares.
The installation team will remain at the site for a period of 14 - 21 days to perform the installation and training to verify the correct performance of the installed system. This time period reflects a realistic understanding of the effects of local weather on the installation plan, possible equipment problems, the daily availability of locally provided transportation through the site, availability of the site security staff for the installation and training, and equipment damage in transit and Customs release paperwork.
An additional trip by the UGS installation team will be planned to respond to any specific "quick reaction" requirements initiated by the site security staff during the time period the UGS system is installed. This contingency is planned should the staff need to move the entire system to new locations, or should they be presented with poacher incursion problems which require installation solutions which exceed their two days of system training.
The monitoring of the system will be conducted by the site security staff, following installation. During this time, an automated monitoring log will be kept to record the sensors daily activities, which will then be used in the process of determining if the project met its' objectives (Efficacy Study, Phase VI). The UGS installation team will be readily available for consultation should questions or problems arise regarding the sensors throughout this phase.
At the conclusion of the operations period, the surveillance system will be removed, if required, under the overall Program Plan (e.g., if loaned UGS equipment must be returned or, if loaned or purchased UGS equipment must be moved to a different site for a later phase of TACP).
This step will include the development of an after-action report covering lessons learned and recommended future plans.
Phase IV - Efficacy Study and Reporting
After the preliminary sensor evaluation period, the collected data will be analyzed by TACP collaboratively with the Park Staff and the Global Security Network to determine surveillance system effectiveness in meeting the program objectives. Comparisons will be made to poaching rates at the site prior to system deployment and poaching rates in nearby sites following system deployment. This stage will also be an evaluation process to determine if additional sensors need to be added to the preliminary sensor suite for further testing.
Upon conclusion of the study, TACP will combine all data into a final report and distribute the report to project participants and interested agencies (e.g., National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and World Wildlife Fund).
Additional information on:
Technology Assisted Counter Poaching
1911 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 408
Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 243-6613 Voice, (703) 243-6619 FAX