"EVN-Report Wildlife Crime" application, which enables users to report wildlife violations, is now available for Android devices.

Developed by American James Campbell during the past nine months, the application is user friendly. For instance, if a person spots a gibbon, he or she can use the app on their smartphones or devices to take photos, go through some simple steps to describe the incident, and then submit it at the touch of a button.

The information, along with the photos and the GPS coordinates of the location of the incident, will be sent instantly to ENV's Wildlife Crime Unit. ENV will then contact the appropriate agencies and share precise information about the situation. This will help the authorities to respond effectively and in a timely manner.

"The main idea behind the development of this app is to make the process of reporting wildlife crimes as streamlined as possible," said Campbell. "Reporting a violation of the law via smartphones takes very little effort, but yields incredibly detailed information."

Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung, deputy director of ENV, said that the app will help in protecting wildlife in Viet Nam. "It is exactly what is needed to mobilise the public in combating wildlife crimes," she said.

"We still have an uphill battle ahead of us. We are confident that with the help of the public and the continued cooperation of the authorities, we can bring about the necessary change to protect our endangered wildlife and also fulfill our global responsibility to protect the world's wildlife," she added.

The app is currently available for Android devices, and will also be released for iOS and Windows devices.

ENV's Wildlife Crime Unit has documented more than 7,000 cases of violations since its establishment in 2005. It launched a national toll-free wildlife crime hotline number 1800 1522 in 2005, to encourage greater public involvement. — VNS