Global Opportunities Project

Tracking Poachers using GPS/SMS

(2019)

GPS Tracking SMS Transmission Low-Cost IoT Rural Connectivity GSM

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

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, it is necessary to understand the movements of all actors involved, from poachers in the field to the businesses facilitating illegal trade. This project designs SMS-TRACKER, a low-cost GPS and 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, including 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 and understand the broader wildlife crime supply chain.

The location data captured by SMS-TRACKER supports a holistic view of wildlife crime networks. By mapping vehicle movements within rural areas, conservation teams can connect field-level poaching events to the broader logistics and businesses facilitating illegal trade, enabling more targeted enforcement strategies.

The low-cost nature of the system makes it accessible to conservation organisations with limited budgets. By relying on commodity GPS modules and the ubiquitous SMS protocol rather than internet connectivity, the SMS-TRACKER can be deployed in remote regions where more sophisticated tracking infrastructure would be impractical or unaffordable.