Global Opportunities Project

Tracking Poachers using GPS/SMS

(2019)

Arduino 3D Printing

Internet of Things (IoT) Sustainability (SU) Middleware (M) Infrastructure / Systems (IS) Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

Project Overview

Deploying a low-cost SMS-based tracking system to understand poacher movements and disrupt the wider wildlife crime supply chain.

Poaching is not simply an isolated criminal act but an organised industry involving multiple stakeholders in a complex supply chain. To effectively combat wildlife crime, we need to understand the movements of all actors involved—from poachers in the field to the businesses facilitating illegal trade.

We design SMS-TRACKER, a low-cost GPS+SMS tracking module purpose-built for rural wildlife areas where conventional internet connectivity is unfeasible. The system captures GPS coordinates and transmits location data via SMS, enabling tracking in remote regions without reliable IP infrastructure.

Field evaluations were conducted at the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysia. Testing included controlled environment trials followed by real-world field experiments in jungle terrain. Results demonstrate that SMS-based tracking provides sufficiently accurate data to analyse poacher vehicle movements within rural areas and understand the broader wildlife crime supply chain.