A novel system to detect illegal wildlife in shipping containers
Key Facts
FUNDING SCHEME Main
VALUE £125,158
WHERE Tanzania
Summary
Shipping containers are moved in large numbers through busy international sea ports. From seizure information, ports are a known route for smuggling large volumes of wildlife illegally. They represent a particularly challenging environment for law enforcement officials as current methods of screening shipping containers are expensive, time consuming and potentially disruptive to port operations. The aim of our project is to test a novel detection system suitable for the port environment – using African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys ansorgei) to detect pangolins (skin and scales) in shipping containers. Our project follows a four-phase approach:
1. Proof of concept, for which we have received matched funding from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), to test if the rats can discriminate between target (pangolins1) and non-target scents;
2. Training on complex scent mixtures, including commonly used masking agents used by smugglers;
3. In-depth psychometric analysis of the rats’ sensitivity and specificity in detection of target samples, including identification of the minimum concentration of target among masking agents; and
4. Simulation of an operational environment to monitor and
Over 600 arrests and more than 500 convictions in wildlife crime since 2017, alongside a decline in ivory trafficking cases and an increase in elephant and rhino populations.
