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Wildlife conservationists are generally fighting a losing battle when it comes to poaching, particularly in Africa's renowned but massive national parks.

Now, however, an innovative smart camera system, the brainchild of Dutch company Hack the Planet, could shake things up.

Engineer Thijs Suijten explains the ins and outs of the system.

As the system functions live, it's a far cry from the current one, where park rangers download information from the cameras' memory cards only when changing the batteries every six months, on their visit to the camera traps.

A total of eight such smart gadgets were exploited in Gabon in 2021, at sites which hitherto would regularly see clashes between local smallholders and elephants.

After the system has identified an elephant in the vicinity, the system triggers the sound of large horns to blare out through speakers, startling the approaching beasts.

The cameras are also energy-efficient as they're powered by solar panels.

And these gadgets aren't the only weapon in the armoury of Hack the Planet, as the company's also devised a cell phone sensor able to detect SIM cards close by - poachers rely on phones in remote areas to navigate and communicate.

Already successfully trialled in Slovenia, the Netherlands and Gabon, these real-time devices are now in situ, supporting the real-life struggle against poaching.

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