English
Technology allows locating offenses within the park and make complaints
Devices ‘Spot’ satellite phone and allow real-time tracking
Being bitten by a snake, broken foot, or leave wounded in a clash in the mountains are some of the threats that rangers Osa Conservation Area in the line of duty face.
Since last December, new technology has become an ally of these characters, used to go in search of oreros (people that extracts gold), people who hunt and cut trees illegally or even individuals who intend to live in this protected area, located in the Osa Peninsula, south of the country.
Rangers now have 10 Spot tracking devices and a satellite phone, which work in areas where cellular coverage and radio fail.
Once the apparatus, they send their location every five minutes light. Thus, it is possible to track and realize where rangers are to assist in an emergency.
To determine each situation and the need to support each case, the devices are five buttons. Since they default to warn, for example, that there is a situation that is at risk the life of a person or several messages are issued.
A test. According Eliecer Arce, manager of Corcovado National Park, the technology allows "having a protected area in which, by means of a computer, can monitor everything that rangers are doing and the results at the time".
Devices help rangers to prevent gold mining in Corcovado (María Luisa Madrigal)
On Sunday 1 February, devices and helped meet an emergency, near the basin of the river course, in the La Venado.
The rangers issued an SOS alert, since a orero was bitten on the hand by a velvet snake. The rapid alert the authorities allowed the affected find and remove to a hospital.
The same technology is used in other parks in the area, such as Piedras Blancas.
According to Arce, the information generated by this technology not only provides more security to make patrolling, but also benefits the law enforcement and the inventory of the wildlife that inhabits the protected area.
All information collected goes directly to the database that has the Program Control and Protection Osa Conservation Area. "With so collected in a month or a year, we’ll know where he found infringing or jobs (orería) and take into account for future planning" he said.
The Spot, satellite equipment Quickcell Panager, are backed by an online platform that allows to track both a website and an app for Android phones.
According Geinor Barquero, manager of GIS, these devices provide more accurate data, which are used to make fuller against those who would exploit the riches that encloses Corcovado (orería, illegal logging, hunting) complaints.
"This helps a lot to explain where the prosecutor was that the person (who breaks the law within the park) grabbed" he said.
Previously, this work could be done with the GPS, but had to wait until the device reached the office. "With Spots, the exact coordinates are obtained in real time," said Carlos Madriz, program manager and Protection Osa Conservation Area Control.
