Geo-spatial data as a tool in land-use planning to enhance connectivity and mitigate wildlife crime

Poaching of elephant and rhino in Southern Africa is increasingly becoming a threat to the long-term survival of their populations. Current reactionary anti-poaching and law enforcement approaches to stabilizing these populations are important to minimize these impacts, however complementary approaches of mitigation are possible through the identification of new or unused natural areas that might be harnessed to create connectivity corridors between existing protected areas where viable populations of elephant or rhino exist. Such corridors will enable existing populations to migrate and grow without damage to the protected areas from overpopulation. Pilot activities based upon geospatial satellite imagery have shown great promise in identifying such corridors of connectivity between the Gonarezhou National Park in Southeast Zimbabwe and the Zinhave and Banhine NPs across the border in Mozambique or the connectivity between Zambia’s North Luangwa NP and the Lower Zambezi NP.