Skip to main content



Hunting Game with Theory: Preventing Poaching

Poaching remains a serious problem for rhino populations, particularly in countries where security is too expensive to maintain. A group of conservationists at the University of Kent decided to use game theory to model the battle between gamekeepers and rhino poachers and determine a best approach for the gamekeepers. In the simplified game, the two players are the gamekeeper and the poachers and each have two strategies. The gamekeeper can choose to devalue rhinos (i.e. by removing the rhino’s horn) or leave the rhinos alone. The poachers can choose to discriminately target rhinos with full horns (selective poachers) or target them indiscriminately (random poachers).

 

The game was analyzed using a payoff matrix in a similar manner as we have done in class. Their resultant model (see Table 1.) suggests that there are two pure Nash Equilibria. In the first case, the gamekeeper de-values all rhinos and all of the poachers are selective. The gamekeeper wins this case, as he will deter all poachers. In the other case, all of the poachers are random and the gamekeeper does not devalue any rhinos. The poachers win this case, and the gamekeeper does not devalue any rhinos as it will just be a waste of resources.

Gamekeeper versus poachers: two Nash equilibria.

Table 1. Gamekeeper versus poachers: two Nash equilibria.

 

In order to determine the best course of action for the gamekeeper, it is important to understand the Nash equilibria. The ideal strategy for the gamekeeper would be to devalue all rhinos. However, doing so is impractical, as it would likely expend the gamekeeper’s resources to the point where the devaluation of rhinos is no longer worth it to him. In contrast, the poachers can instantaneously change strategies without cost. Thus, even in its best case, the game rarely works in favor of the gamekeeper. Therefore, the best course of action is not to tip the game in favor of the gamekeeper, but rather to change the game by legalizing trade or instituting anti-poaching campaigns.

 

Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380016302228

Comments

Leave a Reply

Blogging Calendar

September 2016
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  

Archives