CEOs, M Collins, Sir R Branson, H Green, Dr T Fernandes: Ask Tourists to disable GPS-Enabled Devices
To, Mike Collins, Tropical Sky, Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Holidays, Harriet Green, Thomas Cook Holidays, Dr Tony Fernandes, Air Aisa.
There has been some recent reporting on the dangers posed by GPS-enabled devices to wildlife, particularly wildlife whose body parts are prized in various regions and countries for quack medicinal purposes, as status symbols, or for superstitious reasons.
People on safari take photos using digital cameras, phones and tablets with GPS capability which when uploaded to social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram – contain geo-tags as part of their file properties. Geo-tags contain location information, and well-funded poaching syndicates can hack these photos to locate vulnerable wildlife. They are already using GPS radio collars for this purpose.
Poaching and wildlife trafficking have been growing exponentially over recent years and have reached critical levels. This is organised crime at work and it is decimating species. Travellers to wildlife reserves can act responsibly if they are made aware of the extent of the crisis and the simple ways they can help protect endangered and vulnerable animals by not revealing their location.
We appeal to you as socially active and responsible CEOs to help fight the war on poaching by initiating an international campaign to spread awareness of the crisis and promote the easy steps wildlife lovers can take to help save animals from poaching: turn off GPS-enabled devices and never reveal the location of vulnerable wildlife