Citizen Science Initiative
- Sep 5, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2025
Loisaba Conservancy is a hub for applied conservation research in the north Kenya landscape. Our research partners San Diego Zoo, Space for Giants and Lion Landscapes are constantly on the lookout for high quality images that can be used to identify specific individuals. As a result, Space for Giants and San Diego Zoo have developed a project to engage guests at Elewana’s luxury Loisaba Star Beds and Loisaba Tented Camp in a Citizen Science Initiative.
For the past year Loisaba has been using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) to monitor wildlife numbers throughout the conservancy. Data is collected using an app called Cybertracker and analysed using SMART to show wildlife encounters and human activities across the conservancy.
As part of the new Citizen Science Initiative, every game drive vehicle will be equipped with a tablet installed with the simple data collection model. This will allow guests to record sightings for seven key species of wildlife; elephants, leopards, lions, giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, cheetahs and wild dogs during their game drives. Every sighting is automatically geotagged meaning that the data can be easily mapped after the drive. This data will then contribute meaningfully to the research objectives of each of the respective research partners at Loisaba.
For example, locations and images of leopards taken by guests will allow SDZG researchers to identify individual leopards and track populations and their status through time. SDZG researchers use remote cameras to identify leopards by their unique coat patterns. Each leopard has a distinct set of rosettes, much in the same way a fingerprint is unique to every human. Researchers use these coat patterns on each flank of the leopard to verify their identification.
The pilot project has been tested on Loisaba Conservancy over the past few months with the brilliant Elewana guides having been trained on the data collection app by our Conservation Officer, Chege Amos.
Loisaba is at the forefront of adaptive management through scientifically informed decisions that will help inform appropriate rangeland management, and with endangered species conservation. This Citizen Science Initiative will encourage guests to become budding scientists contributing meaningfully to ongoing research projectsand management of Loisaba’s wildlife, which is in line with our management plans.
By: Izzy Parsons
This kind of citizen science setup feels like it could be a really positive “tourism as data collection” model, as long as it stays lightweight and doesn’t distract from the drive itself. I’m also wondering if you share any feedback back to guests later (like “your leopard photo matched ID #12”), because that would be a great loop. That feedback-loop idea weirdly reminds me of StyleLookLab, where the value is in turning observations into something actionable.
Letting guests contribute photos is smart, but I hope there’s a little guidance so it doesn’t turn into people pushing too close just to get a “better” shot. If there’s a quick checklist in the tablet app (safe distance, no flash at night, keep the full body in frame), that would probably help a lot. I’ve seen quick prompts like that on this site, and they make non-experts produce way more usable results.
Geotagged sightings from regular game drives feels like one of those “small friction removed = lots more data” improvements. I’m wondering if you have any validation step after the drive (like ranger review) before the points go into the main dataset. Side note, the “curated submissions” approach reminds me of hrefgo — different domain, but similar idea of keeping entries structured.
The leopard photo ID angle is fascinating — it’s basically pattern recognition, just done by researchers instead of an algorithm. Do you give guests any tips on framing (angle/lighting) so the images are actually useful for matching individuals? That “shift the input and see what changes” learning vibe always reminds me of a simple basic caesar cipher tool, where small tweaks really matter.
Cool to see SMART/Cybertracker used alongside guest observations — it feels like a practical way to widen coverage without pretending it replaces trained rangers. The tablet list of “key species” makes sense too; I wonder if guests ever get frustrated when they see something outside the seven and can’t log it. Oddly enough it made me think of an 8x8 block puzzle game, where the constraints are what force you to be strategic.