New York and Phnom Penh ( Sharewellnewswire.com ) August 9, 2012 - There is a new weapon in the fight against animal trafficking: an iPhone® app. Called Wildlife Watch Cambodia, the app enables travelers in Cambodia, as well as locals there, to directly aid the effort to stop wildlife crime. The free app, available on iTunes®, was launched by Wildlife Alliance, the international conservation organization that provides direct protection for wildlife and forests.
The Wildlife Watch Cambodia app identifies trafficking hotspots around the country, such as open markets, which are popular shopping and cultural destinations for tourists. Users can file an incident or suspicious activity report that goes straight to the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team, which can take action to stop the illegal sale of wildlife, wildlife meat or wildlife parts. The Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team is a unique law enforcement unit – the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia – created by Wildlife Alliance that has rescued over 50,000 live wild animals from animal traffickers since beginning operations in 2001.
The app also educates users about Cambodia's native flora and fauna with photos, maps and videos, provides status of imperiled animals and answers questions on species, products and food. Trigger LLC created the technology for Wildlife Alliance in conjunction with noted animal and nature conservationist Jeff Corwin, who is featured in the videos, and TRAFFIC, the international wildlife trade-monitoring network.
Suwanna Gauntlett, founder and CEO of Wildlife Alliance, noted that Cambodia is an increasingly popular travel destination for people from around the world. "People arrive with great enthusiasm and appreciation for the natural heritage of this country. The app is an easy way for us to engage them in our conservation efforts. Though we've made great strides against animal trafficking in certain areas, it requires ongoing effort and new tools."
For more information about Wildlife Watch Cambodia and Wildlife Alliance, please visit http://www.wildlifealliance.org/.
About Wildlife Alliance
Wildlife Alliance was founded by Suwanna Gauntlett to offer direct protection to forests and wildlife through cutting edge conservation programs. The organization provides technical assistance and critical thinking to governments and strives for stakeholder consensus in achieving solutions to multiple environmental threats, including animal trafficking, economic land concessions for agro-industrial plantations and mining, and community encroachment on forestland. Wildlife Alliance is the leader in direct action in the Southeast Asian tropical belt.
Editor's note: Hi-res images of the app screens available.
Contact Info:
Jacqueline Burton
201.888.3352
jburton@burtonluch.com
http://www.wildlifealliance.org
