Sheldrick Wildlife Trust launches Mammoth innovation to protect the African Elephant using the power of data via whiteGREY Positive

Mammoth is whiteGREY Positive’s (wG+) newest innovation for the Sheldrick Wildife Trust (SWT), making data the latest tool in the fight to protect the African elephant.

A world-first data intelligence tool, Mammoth is designed to shield the African elephant from extinction. Built as a Progressive Web App (PWA) using WP Engine, Mammoth enables SWT field forces to collect and submit data in real-time so that SWT can mobilise resources in the right way and give elephants a chance to survive.

Says Rob Brandford, executive director of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust: “whiteGREY has worked with SWT for more than five years to further its mission to protect and preserve wildlife and biodiversity-rich habitats.

“For the first time in 45 years, Mammoth will provide our ground and aerial teams will a real-time snapshot of events that threaten species or pose a risk to both people and elephants, such as human-wildlife conflict. This presents new opportunities for SWT to enhance its strategic approach and proactively deploy resources to tackle wildlife crime and secure endangered species populations.”

Field rangers, pilots, vets and canine teams monitor animal populations, identify and respond to illegal activities, and treat injured and sick wildlife. Until now, capturing and analysing data has been an analogue exercise. The vast expanse of Kenya, the patchy signals and the inconsistent logging methods render a lot of data unusable, by which time the incident has lapsed.

Mammoth tackles the challenges of the remote and harsh environment though a range of innovative design features. These include a user experience designed for the specialist patrols on ground and in the air; an offline mode harnessing the local storage protocol so rangers can still store data without signal; and map views to visualise the locations of incidents over time. The thinking contributed to whiteGREY recently being named as an AFR BOSS Most Innovative Company for 2022.

Says Lee Simpson, CEO, whiteGREY: “The Sheldrick Wildife Trust does fantastic work protecting wildlife and safeguarding the future of the elephant population. They have a rich history but constantly look to the future and we enjoy partnering with them to do that, this time with Mammoth.”

Commenting on the impact of Mammoth, Brandford concluded: “Currently in beta-testing, it’s clear Mammoth will transform our field operations. We will receive exponentially more data than we’ve ever had before, enabling us to plan tomorrow’s patrols using today’s data. We’ll be able to spot trends more quickly and enhance our impact at a field level. We hope this digital transformation will ultimately help us to move from protection to prevention.”

Agency: whiteGREY (wG+)
Client: The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust