Abidjan, 2 September 2024 — Taï National Park has taken another step towards conserving the rich biodiversity of Côte d'Ivoire with the construction and equipment of a modern control room for real time anti-poaching operations. The Park is one of the strongholds of forest elephants in West Africa, where several elephant populations have been declared extinct in recent years. Threats to the elephant populations in this area include the proliferation of cocoa plantations around the park exacerbating human-elephant conflict, habitat degradation, and poaching for ivory and meat. These challenges are further intensified by elephants' cross-border nature.
The new facility was constructed as part of the Minimizing the Illegal Killing of Elephants and other Endangered Species (MIKES+) Project as part of the Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), known as the CITES-MIKE Programme. MIKES+ aims to improve and reinforce the protection of elephants and other CITES-listed African mammals throughout the continent, through strengthened monitoring, management, and law enforcement capacities in MIKE range States and sites. By providing essential resources and targeted support, the project is helping to implement more robust and adaptive conservation strategies.
CITES Secretary-General Ivonne Higuero said: "As poaching methods become increasingly sophisticated, it is essential that we leverage advanced technology to stay ahead. This control room will not only empower Taï National Park to respond swiftly and effectively to poaching incidents but will also serve as a vital support system for rangers in the field, ensuring their safety and enhancing their conservation capacity."
The construction of this control room marks an advancement in the fight against poaching within the Taï – Grebo-Krahn – Sapo landscape. It enhances the Park’s ability to communicate with patrol teams during operations and facilitates communication between patrol teams within the Park. Support and guidance can now be provided to field teams, and any challenges faced by rangers can be promptly reported to headquarters for action. This is particularly important given the dense forest of the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem, which makes communication difficult. This control room will also help address human-elephant conflict by enabling direct reporting of all incidents for prompt action.
The control room is equipped with EarthRanger and SMART Connect tracking and monitoring systems, along with data processing software. These tools will help rangers and managers quickly detect and respond effectively to poaching threats. Additionally, the integrated technology will enable better analysis of collected data, helping to identify trends and develop more effective plans. The control room also serves as abase for strategic and operational planning, providing a secure workplace for law enforcement officers to plan their operations with complete discretion.
The CITES MIKE Programme facilitates targeted interventions at MIKE Focal Sites to provide wildlife law enforcement and management capacity building support beyond the support for elephant mortality monitoring. As a newly equipped CITES MIKE Focal Site, Taï National Park is better prepared than ever to meet the challenges posed by poaching and ensure a sustainable future for its species.
The construction of this state-of-the-art facility was generously supported by the European Union. The successful implementation was made possible by the collaboration and dedication of the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR) which works to preserve and sustainably manage the national parks, nature reserves and ecological heritage of Côte d'Ivoire.
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About CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March 1973 and entered into force on 1 July 1975. With 184 Parties (183 countries + the European Union), it remains one of the world's most powerful tools for wildlife conservation through the regulation of international trade in over 40,900 species of wild animals and plants. CITES-listed species are used by people around the world in their daily lives for food, health care, furniture, housing, tourist souvenirs, cosmetics or fashion. CITES seeks to ensure that international trade in such species is sustainable, legal and traceable and contributes to both the livelihoods of the communities that live closest to them and to national economies for a healthy planet and the prosperity of the people in support of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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About CITES MIKE
The CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme is a site-based system designed to monitor trends in levels of illegal killing of elephants and build capacity in sites spread across the range of African and Asian elephants. Information from MIKE is used by CITES Parties to inform decision making on elephant conservation and management.
Find out more: https://citesmike.org/
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