World Wildlife Day 2024
Photo credit / © CHENG Hui Xin
The CIC joins in celebrating World Wildlife Day 2024!
Celebrated on March 3rd every year, World Wildlife Day (WWD) looks to raise awareness of the importance of wild animals and plants.
Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation is the theme for this year’s WWD, highlighting how digital conservation technologies can drive wildlife conservation, sustainable and legal wildlife trade, as well as human-wildlife coexistence.
Finding new wildlife management insights through data and technology has been a significant focus for the CIC and the wider sustainable use community in recent years.
As part of habitat management, trailcams have become a widespread technology that aids in the monitoring of wildlife species all across the globe.
Continued advancements in the automation, identification and registration of different species caught on trailcam and drone footage can generate huge amounts of valuable data that may contribute to a better knowledge of situations on the ground.
As with all data, its analysis and application is where true value can be found, something which requires continual improvement in the years ahead.
In addition, the CIC has been exploring how innovations to the Trophy Evaluation System (TES) could assist in supporting research and wildlife management.
Specifically, talks have been held on the incorporation of geolocation data into the CIC Evaluation Database, as well as the import of external third-party data from National Databases, which would enhance the TES, allow for deeper statistical analyses of data as well as its application in academic research.
For example, location data would allow researchers to compare changes in specific populations of wildlife species over time, which would not otherwise be possible with country specific data alone.
The focus on connecting people with the wider environment will also be echoed at the CIC’s upcoming 70th General Assembly in Cascais (18-21 April 2024), which takes place under the theme Bridges to Biodiversity.
By exploring how different ecosystems, cultures and people interact with one another through a number of Technical Sessions and keynote speakers, Cascais will serve as an opportunity to share knowledge and expertise on all things conservation and sustainable use.
For more on the 70th General Assembly, visit our official website where you can register your attendance and find the latest information.
