Smuggling wildlife for sale is a notorious industry in Australia. In a report from the Guardian, blue-tongue lizards and sulfur-crested cockatoos are the most native and famous traded animals overseas from the country.
The number of recovered wildlife by the Australian Government has tripled since the year 2017. Based on the report of Taronga, the full scale of the wildlife dilemma baffles the authorities as they aren't usually aware of when, where, and how the animals are trafficked.
Meanwhile, a new technology was developed as Australia's arsenal against animal cruelty and inhumane trade. The research that was published in Frontiers in Conservation Science expressed the potential usage of new technology to detect illegal wildlife in luggage or mail.
The developed system will use artificial intelligence to identify the form of animals when scanned at international airports, mail centers, and other trade frontlines.
There are other endangered species being smuggled into Australia, such as snakes, turtles, and fish, that can possibly disrupt the country's multi-billion dollar agricultural businesses by introducing pests and diseases that can threaten weak native ecosystems.
The Image Library System
The researchers document a wide variety of animal species that have been scanned using their developed state-of-the-art technology to create computer algorithms using a system called "Real Time Tomography."
Tomography is an imaging system that uses a series of high-energy electromagnetic radiation (x-rays) to scan a specific item (such as a lizard).
It creates a three-dimensional (3D) image of the wildlife which, in turn, is used to develop algorithms. Real-Time Tomography can be placed and used in frontline centers, such as airports, to scan luggage. If the wildlife is enclosed, the system will alert the authorities of the animal presence inside one's baggage.
The current scanning already recognized trafficked Australian wildfires to build an image reference library. As the study was published, the researchers gathered a total of 294 scans from 13 lizard species, birds, and fishes to create the initial wildlife algorithms. It has a detection rate of 82% and a false scan rate of 1.6%.
The study is the first to document the use of 3D X-ray CT scan security systems for animal protection within the peer-reviewed scientific literature. It is also designed to complement the early existing detection measures of Australian Border Force biosecurity officers and detection-trained dogs, which serve a vital role against wildlife crime.
A scanned lace monitor lizard (Varanus varius) image produced by using new technology.
Wildlife Welfare Problem
Illegal smuggling of wildlife is driven by several aspects that include purported medicinal purposes, illegal pet trade, or having animal ornamental value, as per Bes Journals.
These factors can have deadly effects as it involves the transportation of the animals inside tight or cramped cages and vessels, which may lead to stress, dehydration, and death of the animals. In a press release from the Minister of the Environment, it stated that some people use chip packets to smuggle Australian animals. The research team said in their study, "We don't know the complete picture of which animals are being trafficked, how they're trafficked, or even when it's occurring. But examples from seized cases in Australia suggest traffickers highly prize Aussie reptiles and birds."
The shingleback lizards, a kind of blue-tongue lizard, are known as one of Australia's most smuggled species, according to a report from National Geographic.
The researchers mentioned that their created technology is not a solution to foresee when and where the smuggling will occur. Furthermore, they believe that wildlife traffickers may adapt or develop new behaviors to avoid the possible detection of smuggled animals. They encourage citizens to engage against the illegal trade saying, "Any effort to stamp out this terrible activity is a step in the right direction, and the potential for 3D detection enables us to adapt and evolve with how traffickers may change their behaviors."
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