WWF launches app to report wildlife crimes
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KARACHI:
Pakistan is home to majestic wildlife, including common and snow leopards, brown and black bears, Indian pangolins, freshwater and sea turtles, Indus River dolphins, and diverse species of resident and migratory birds.
But these wildlife species face serious threats from wildlife crimes, which include illegal trade, poaching, hunting, and ill-treatment.
An application has been launched to report wildlife crimes and coordinate meaningful actions by the government departments and law enforcement agencies.
The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) said in its press release issued on the occasion of the World Wildlife Day 2025. It further said this is the first time this application has been launched to tackle crimes facing wildlife in Pakistan.
The application has been developed under the Securing the Future for Indian Pangolin project supported by the Pangolin Crisis Fund. A link to the application has been developed on Google Drive for reporting crimes and will soon be available on the Google Play Store.
The theme for the 2025 World Wildlife Day, ‘wildlife conservation finance: Investing in People and Planet,” focuses on innovative technologies and enhancing collaboration to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of existing financial resources.
It highlights the urgent need to strengthen investment in conservation efforts, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for humanity and the natural world.
Advanced technologies such as software applications, artificial intelligence, camera traps, and satellite data can help address wildlife threats, monitor conservation performance, and promote effective strategies for protecting threatened wildlife. This application will report and collect data on wildlife crimes, enabling the relevant departments and agencies to take action against wildlife criminals.
WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan remarked that addressing wildlife crimes requires an inclusive approach involving government departments, law enforcement agencies, civil society, and local communities.
Tackling such crimes could be improved by building capacity, fostering collaboration, raising awareness, and creating enabling conditions that integrate the expertise of AI specialists, conservation experts, and members of local communities. Khan emphasized the essential role of wildlife in promoting ecosystem management and human well-being.
Referring to the application, Khan said that it would create a platform for wildlife officials, conservation experts, and the public to interact and share valuable information about illegal wildlife activities “To protect the wildlife, we need to work together and take immediate action to combat wildlife crime as it is one of the key reasons for species decline at local, national, and international levels”, Khan added.
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