Take a walk through parts of Chatuchak Weekend Market or elsewhere and one may encounter exotic varieties of bird, tortoise or other animals. But how to tell whether they’re protected species, possibly illegally trafficked?
Wildlife defenders Freeland have released WildScan, a smartphone app that helps regular folk and law enforcement be a part of the solution by helping identify such animals.
“Wildlife trafficking in Southeast Asia is a serious threat to biodiversity, human well-being, and feeds into transnational organized criminal networks,” said Do Quang Tung, of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Wildlife Enforcement Network in a release.“This app is a game-changing approach that empowers law enforcers and the public at large across the region to work together and fight back.”
The application is available for Android devices and was developed with the support of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and U.S. Agency for International Development.
