Metro News

DENR launches mobile app to prevent wildlife trafficking
The Department Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Biodiversity Management Bureau and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have developed a digital tool to help forest rangers and law enforcement partners in the fight against wildlife trafficking.
The application, named WildALERT, is a system made up of a mobile interface, a species library, and a report management platform that will identify wildlife species.
Developer John Calanday, in an interview Tuesday, said the app envisions to providing necessary and immediate information for the DENR assets on the ground who are on the lookout for wildlife criminals.
“The 2GB app can be used offline for identification and they can submit a report to nearby police officers or law enforcement officers for help to apprehend,” he said.
The app is an easily accessible offline digital reference for DENR personnel and law enforcers to help them correctly identify various species of wildlife.
Currently, it has 480 species in its library, which is easily searchable using the app’s filtering tool.
This feature, he said, is very useful for identifying unfamiliar species by narrowing down descriptive categories.
The species library is also publicly available online at wildalert.ph.
It is now being used for pilot testing by selected DENR officials and law enforcement officers and is targeted to be available nationwide among DENR officials, including forest rangers by April 2020.
Calanday said they are gearing to make it accessible to the public by next year so everyone can contribute to the protection of wildlife in the country.
In a media interview at the sidelines of the World Wildlife Day celebration, DENR Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said “prosecution of wildlife crimes is science-based”.
Hence, he said it is appropriate that the frontliners gain an information tool that will help them assess their report.
“In highly-critical situations of reporting wildlife crimes and managing reports submitted from the field, not everyone is capable of identifying. It is vital when we file cases,” he said.
Wildlife law enforcers can report poaching, trafficking and illegal trade of wildlife using WildALERT.
Through the app’s reporting feature, photos and key information can be recorded, geo-tagged, and submitted to the WildALERT report management platform.
Reports are then accessed and managed by the DENR field units and the Biodiversity Management Bureau for appropriate action.
App users can also access a directory of DENR offices across the Philippines for incidents requiring immediate action.
Share your thoughts with us
Related Articles

Manufacturers agree to defer price hikes
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said manufacturers of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) have agreed to temporarily hold off a price increase on their products, according to a report by Philippine News Agency. In a Viber...

iACADEMY, DigiPlus to revolutionize game development education
iACADEMY, a frontrunner in innovative education, is poised to embark on an unprecedented venture with DigiPlus, a renowned retail gaming provider. On September 12, 2023, the two industry leaders convened to formalize an inspiring partnership that pro...

LGUs Urged to Fight Proliferation of Mercury-Adulterated Cosmetics in the Market
Environmental groups Cavite Green Coalition and EcoWaste Coalition are appealing to local government units (LGUs) to join the global campaign against skin lightening products contaminated with mercury, a highly toxic chemical. LGUs’ participat...

Tondo kids honored during SMC-FIBA event
Hundreds of students from Tondo, Manila who served as mascots or player escorts during the FIBA World Cup were honored during a ceremony that also marked the 4th year of San Miguel Corporation’s Better World Community Center, a food bank and le...