14 DAY TRIAL // A gang of five poachers has recently been arrested by local authorities in China's Jilin Province. Following their being taken in police custody, the poachers all admitted to having killed over 20 animals including tiger prey.
According to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), this gang of poachers owned 2 jeeps and 18 hunting dogs, which they used to track down animals. Both the vehicles and the hunting dogs have been confiscated, the organization details.
By the looks of this, these five arrests represent a record for said Chinese region. As the WCS puts it, the bust is “the largest ever for the province.”
The poachers were arrested with the help of a software application known as SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool). This technology allows rangers and authorities to monitor areas inhabited by protected species by keeping in touch with one another and sharing crucial information.
Camera traps are also used by wildlife rangers in order to keep a close eye on biodiversity in various parts of the world.