This archive report was first published on 11 July 2020.
Kenya is at the forefront of conservation efforts for the critically endangered Grevy's zebra, thanks to a new technology that leverages the power of citizen scientists.
Launched in 2016, the Great Grevy's Rally has been a biannual event where volunteers, including schoolchildren, wildlife enthusiasts, and local communities, participate in the national count of the species. The technology, which involves taking photographs of the zebras and loading them onto a database called Wildbook, has revolutionized the counting process.
Wildbook is a software that helps track individual animals in a wildlife population using natural markings while engaging citizen scientists to collect sighting information. The incorporation of this technology has placed Kenya on the world map, raising awareness about the conservation of Grevy's zebra.
Originally found in five African countries, the Grevy's zebra now only exists in Kenya and Ethiopia, making it an endangered species. The biggest challenges facing the species are hunting and habitat loss. Involving citizen scientists in the national count has been instrumental in raising awareness about the conservation of Grevy's zebra.
According to Rosemary Warungu, Zebra project manager at Mpala Conservation Centre in Laikipia, the technology has solved the challenge of counting the zebras, an exercise initially done manually on air. 'The Great Grevy's Rally is often a biannual event where citizen scientists, conservancy managers, conservation organisations and government officials participate in the exercise within all the Grevy's zebra ranges. This technology has been adopted here and solved the previous challenge,' Warungu said.
Since its launch, the rally has seen significant progress, with over 2,800 zebras mapped out in Kenya. The technology has also saved researchers weeks of manual work, thanks to the database where all photos taken by citizen scientists are loaded. The system compares photos of the zebras to a database of previously recorded animals, providing accurate results.
As of 2018, 49,000 photos were taken by citizen scientists in Kenya, providing an estimated population of 2,350 Grevy's zebras. The technology has been a game-changer in the conservation efforts of the species, and Kenya's efforts are now being recognized globally.
