Wildlife Conservation Conservation - Elephanatics Foundation

Protecting African Elephants: Research, Technology, and Action

Elephanatics is fiercely dedicated to protecting African elephants, who face critical threats from ivory poaching, habitat destruction, and increasing human development. Our approach is powered by cutting-edge research and innovative technology led by our co-founder, Dr. Jake Wall.

🐘 Data-Driven Conservation by Dr. Jake Wall

Dr. Jake Wall, a leading conservation scientist and geospatial expert, drives our data-driven strategies for elephant protection. His work focuses on understanding how human activity restricts and endangers elephant populations.

Habitat Restriction Research: Dr. Wall’s research revealed that elephants are forced to use only 17% of their potential habitat due to human interference. Read his paper here.
Geospatial Technology Leader: For over 20 years, Dr. Wall has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to create freely available geospatial tools, significantly benefiting wildlife conservation across Africa and globally.

🛰️ Technology: Real-Time Poaching Defense

Dr. Wall’s technological contributions, in partnership with organizations like Save the Elephants, Mara Elephant Project, Wildlife Dynamics, provide anti-poaching and wildlife management teams with critical information in real-time.

Key Technological Contributions:

🐘 Dr. Jake Wall: Tech Pioneer in Elephant Conservation

Dr. Jake Wall, Elephanatics’ Co-founder and a leading conservation scientist, drives our mission with groundbreaking geospatial technology. His work transforms raw data into real-time tools that directly protect African elephants from poaching and habitat threats.

Real-Time Tracking & Anti-Poaching Defense

Dr. Wall’s expertise centers on using GPS collars and advanced analytics to monitor elephant safety and movement across vast landscapes.

Poaching Alert System: He developed crucial algorithms that analyze GPS data from elephant collars. If an elephant’s movement suddenly stops, the system detects this abnormal behavior—a sign of potential poaching—and instantly sends an alert to anti-poaching and wildlife management teams, enabling rapid response.
Geospatial Research: His seminal research found that elephants currently occupy only 17% of their potential African range, highlighting how human interference is drastically restricting their habitat.

Global Conservation Technology Platforms

Dr. Wall is a key architect behind several of the world’s most advanced conservation technology systems:

EarthRanger: He is a co-developer of this industry-leading platform. EarthRanger integrates real-time data from elephant collars, ranger patrols, and other sensors onto a single map. This unified view provides essential intelligence for managing and securing protected areas.
Ecoscope: He led the creation of this open-source analysis module. Ecoscope allows conservationists to easily analyze complex EarthRanger data, converting complex spatial information into actionable insights for better decision-making.

Public Engagement & Awareness

Dr. Wall leverages digital technology to bring the elephant crisis to the public:

Google Street View: He collaborated with Google to map Kenya’s Samburu National Park, creating a virtual safari tour. This innovation helps raise global awareness of the conservation challenges and the struggle against poachers.
Story Spheres: He co-created this interactive application that uses panoramic photos to share the stories of elephants and the local communities, fostering a deeper connection with the species.

🎉 Dr. Wall’s Awards & Recognition

Dr. Wall’s dedication to using technology for conservation has earned him significant acclaim:

2025 Esmond B. Martin Royal Geographic Society Prize: Awarded for outstanding individual achievement in geographical research and its application to wildlife conservation.
2015 Best Student Presentation Award: Received at the Canadian Association of Geologists annual meeting.

View Dr. Wall’s speech at the 2015 Global March for Elephants and Rhinos here and view more photos from the march here.

Supplementary Resources

View some photos from an aerial survey done by Dr. Wall while working with The Mara Elephant project using his GPS technology:

In photo 1, you can see a big bull elephant with his tracking collar on. The bull looks healthy and it’s always interesting to see if there are any other elephants around, as bulls often travel alone.

In the second photo, you can see a female elephant travelling with her family. It’s much more difficult to count herds than solo elephants from the air. How many do you see?

In the third photo, there is a giant herd we found on the side of a hill. Herds this big require many photos to count them all upon return to your desk. It’s a nuanced situation, as getting closer with the plane or helicopter might make the elephants start running, whereas being too far away makes it difficult to see what’s going on. Thank goodness for zoom lenses! On one hand, it’s lovely to see this many elephants together. On the other, it makes scientists wonder WHY they are sticking so close together. Could it be the threat of human encroachment on their land? This is a growing problem in the Mara.

Conservation Questionnaire for Conservationists:

Based on an article written by Jeremy Hance, Environmental journalist for Mongabay. Questions still valid and open for debate in 2025.