Phnom Penh, July 15, 2016-WildScan, Southeast Asia’s leading application for species identification and response, has officially launched in Cambodia. The app is designed to help stop the illegal wildlife trade.

Wildlife trafficking is driving many majestic species towards extinction and often the animals being trafficked are difficult to identify. WildScan helps law enforcement and the general public quickly and easily identify protected species by providing photos, critical information and identification clues for more than 350 species.

Cambodia is increasingly being used by smugglers to source wildlife and transit illegal wildlife destined for consumer markets in the region.

“I think that having WildScan in Khmer will benefit law enforcement in the country. It is easy to use allowing for everyone to quickly identify a range of different animals,” said Khem Vuthyravong, Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team Project Manager, which has rescued over 62,000 live animals from the wildlife trade since 2001.

With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Wildlife Alliance and Freeland co-organized the launch event, which gave participants an overview of the app’s features and included a site visit to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center to test the app. WildScan has been translated into Khmer, features local species threatened by the trade, with new species added as needed.  

Developed with USAID support, WildScan is available on both Android and Apple devices and has been downloaded more than 1,000 times. The app is available in six Southeast Asian languages with more languages to be added in the future.

WildScan contains information on relevant contacts, temporary care instructions and a tool to report suspected wildlife crime. Reports can be forwarded to a local law enforcement agency allowing anyone to report wildlife crime wherever they are.

With information and photos for more than 500 animals and products, WildScan is also an effective education tool. Wildlife Alliance’s Kouprey Express (KE) outreach team will promote the app and demonstrate it for the many local communities, schools and universities throughout the country. Ying Horn, the KE Project Coordinator added that, “WildScan will be great for outreach across the country because not only can we use it to educate people, but people can also use it to report wildlife crime wherever they are.”

Download the app today, search WildScan on the App Store or the Play Store or visit www.wildscanapp.org