Cyber Tracker

in pairs of south africa, there are still big herds of wild like zebras, elephants, and giraffes. but today many of these animal are in danger because people are taking the land that animals need. conservationists are people who protect wildlife and nature and many of them are now leading a fight to save these animals.

lovis liebenberg is one of these conservation is "the most important thing is to try and get an understanding of what is happening out there"

liebenberg reports that people need to know more about animals. he says that people need to understand what happens to plants and animals over time. are they increasing or decreasing in numbers?

what plans are the animal eating?

for hundreds of years. africa bushmen have been very good wild animals trackers. they know what the animals eat, where they go and and where the sleep.

but the don't always speak the same language as the conservationist so it can be difficult to communicate.

now, liebenberg has brought an invention to the karoo national park.

it's called the cyber traker. he hopes that togedert the cyber traket and the busman can help protect the animals.

liebenber explans that the cyber traker is a small computer that helps collec informations about animals with picture, called "icons", instead od word that way, the busman can record what they see even without words.

acoording to liebenberg the cyber traker can called very detaield an dcomplicated information. and it can do it very quickly the cyber traker also contains a global positioning device.

each time a bushman sees something interesting about an animals or plant. he pushes a button

the cyber traker record exacity

where the man is

that way, even if the man can't read or write. he can't record what he sees and where.

liebenberg, explains that the cyber tracker uses icons, or pictures, to communicate there are picture for drinking, walking, fighting, sleeping, eating and other things.

the user can report wheather an animal is sick or dead, too.

the bushman can also records other meanings by pushing diferent buttons.

with this option, they can name about fifty diferents plants.

"three females, three youngsters and one male"

liebenbers adds that the human factor is very important.

a big part of using the cyber tracker the bushman's ability to understand and record what he sees.

when the trackers retour to their base, they connect the cyber tracker to a personal computer.

then liebenber uses the information to make maps these maps show the animals herds are, what they are eating, and what their health is like the cyber tracker project started, several years ago.

at fisrt, the idea was to help a few animals in danger

.

now, more and more people have started using the cyber tracker in africa parks,

and with diferent animals. recently liebenberg put the cyber tracker sofwer on the internet.

many conservationist around the world have started adding the tecnologi to their concervations programs

soom the cyber tracker may be able to help wild animals everywhere.

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