Kenya: Now elephants have text messaging capabilities

SteveGrenard · 11th October 2008, 10:07 AM

Kenya is putting cel phone sim cards on elephants that automatically text message park rangers where they are and where they are going ....

Quote:

OL PEJETA, Kenya (AP) - The text message from the elephant flashed across Richard Lesowapir's screen: Kimani was heading for neighboring farms.

The huge bull elephant had a long history of raiding villagers' crops during the harvest, sometimes wiping out six months of income at a time. But this time a mobile phone card inserted in his collar sent rangers a text message. Lesowapir, an armed guard and a driver arrived in a jeep bristling with spotlights to frighten Kimani back into the Ol Pejeta conservancy.

Kenya is the first country to try elephant texting as a way to protect both a growing human population and the wild animals that now have less room to roam. Elephants are ranked as "near threatened" in the Red List, an index of vulnerable species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1495474

The Man · 11th October 2008, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by SteveGrenard

Kenya is putting cel phone sim cards on elephants that automatically text message park rangers where they are and where they are going ....

Quote:

But the biggest bonus so far has been the drop in crop raiding. Douglas-Hamilton says elephants, like teenagers, learn from each other, so tracking and controlling one habitual crop raider can make a whole group change its habits.

Well now with the text messaging elephants are even more like teenagers (and some adults too).

Small Town Jesus · 11th October 2008, 02:38 PM

I guess things have moved on from trunk calls.

11th October 2008, 10:07 AM	#1
SteveGrenard Philosopher Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wherever the airline sends my luggage Posts: 5,528	Kenya: Now elephants have text messaging capabilities Kenya is putting cel phone sim cards on elephants that automatically text message park rangers where they are and where they are going .... Quote: OL PEJETA, Kenya (AP) - The text message from the elephant flashed across Richard Lesowapir's screen: Kimani was heading for neighboring farms. The huge bull elephant had a long history of raiding villagers' crops during the harvest, sometimes wiping out six months of income at a time. But this time a mobile phone card inserted in his collar sent rangers a text message. Lesowapir, an armed guard and a driver arrived in a jeep bristling with spotlights to frighten Kimani back into the Ol Pejeta conservancy. Kenya is the first country to try elephant texting as a way to protect both a growing human population and the wild animals that now have less room to roam. Elephants are ranked as "near threatened" in the Red List, an index of vulnerable species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1495474
	__________________ "We are facing a neurosis at the level of an entire civilization” Pierre Rehov

11th October 2008, 01:30 PM	#2
The Man Scourge, of the supernatural Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY Posts: 7,517	Originally Posted by SteveGrenard Kenya is putting cel phone sim cards on elephants that automatically text message park rangers where they are and where they are going .... Quote: But the biggest bonus so far has been the drop in crop raiding. Douglas-Hamilton says elephants, like teenagers, learn from each other, so tracking and controlling one habitual crop raider can make a whole group change its habits. Well now with the text messaging elephants are even more like teenagers (and some adults too).
	__________________ "Not a seat but a springboard” (1942 Winston Churchill) "As he who, seeking asses, found a kingdom" (1671 Milton "Paradise Regained") "for it seem'd A void was made in nature, all her bonds Crack'd; and I saw the flaring atom-streams And torrents of her myriad universe, Ruining along the illimitable inane, Fly on to clash together again, and make Another and another frame of things For ever." (1868 Tennyson "Lucretius")

11th October 2008, 02:38 PM	#3
Small Town Jesus Critical Thinker Join Date: May 2003 Location: London Posts: 270	I guess things have moved on from trunk calls.
	__________________ 'Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all' - Jeff Mangum