South African scientist and Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate Louis Liebenberg has dedicated his life to protecting and cultivating the art of animal tracking and supporting the indigenous communities that still practice it.
This led him to develop CyberTracker, software designed to preserve the ancient art of Indigenous tracking by enabling trackers to monetise their conservation skills.
Louis recalls his first childhood tracking experience, playing hide-and-seek among the dunes on a Cape Town beach. He used footprints in the sand to find his friend’s hiding place. Years later, he packed a few things and ventured alone into the Kalahari to stay with the Ju/’hoansi, the region’s indigenous peoples, to learn the tracking skills that have ensured their survival for thousands of years. This experience inspired his creation of CyberTracker, work that led to his winning a Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1998.
The software allows users to document observations of flora and fauna, crucial for global conservation efforts. Simple and versatile, it has gained popularity among government projects, hobbyists, and community initiatives. With over 600,000 downloads across 200 countries, it has been utilised in fields ranging from scientific research and citizen science to farming, crime prevention, and disaster relief.
Louis is now enhancing the mobile app to ensure accessibility for all, including illiterate elders in remote areas and young children. This update democratises scientific research, empowering individuals to combat climate change effectively.
Louis’ dedication stems from a promise to his friend !Nate, a Ju/’hoansi tracker, to support the Kalahari’s indigenous communities.
He asked Louis to do what he could to help the people of the Kalahari. Over 30 years ago, much of the wildlife had been decimated by fences cutting off migration routes and the Ju/’hoansi could no longer sustain their nomadic, subsistence lifestyle. Youngsters were forfeiting ancestral teachings in favour of low-paid, low-skilled work away from home to survive.
Traditional tracking skills, threatened by modernisation, are being revived and adapted. CyberTracker is linked to a system for internationally certified trackers who gather invaluable ecological data, surpassing the capabilities of tech-based imaging solutions.
Supported by the Rolex Awards and the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Louis has developed CyberTracker Online, an app-based platform that simplifies data collection for all users. It enables tailored app creation for diverse projects, fostering initiatives like ToadNUTS in Cape Town, which protects the Western Leopard Toad, and BioKids in Michigan, which introduces children to scientific thinking.
With CyberTracker Online, conservation tools are now within everyone’s reach. Louis is shaping a collaborative effort to safeguard the planet’s future by empowering communities globally.
