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This is a tricky one and it applies to wildlife in general especially the species at the most risk from poaching. How much information is too much information? When does making this information public actually put wildlife at risk? It's a fine line. I've noticed that some orgs will publish anything they can, even if it wasn't their directly researched information, to gain attention and funds. The wildlife tourism industry also in the same boat.
There is no straight forward answer except that the situation has changed significantly enough that the question has to be asked and constantly reappraised. As I write this, right now, images are being sent to me by a colleague, a tigress and four cubs at a well known and highly protected location... but a part of the world that has a big cat poaching problem right now. Just a few days ago a villager here in the Kaski contacted me about a leopard living nearby but he had told no one, he knew the risk.
Poachers connected to organized crime use technology just as up to date as that used by people protecting wildlife. The battle now involves a lot of high tech tools on both sides. Information hitting public platforms can turn out to be aiding a death sentence.
I've written before expressing my concerns about how we "over intrude" on wildlife. I'm saying here that the consequences can be deadly. We've just tweeted at @WildTigerNews along those lines. The news has to be accurate and verifiable but there is also the question as to if publishing it can have negative effects. Big cats need their privacy, now more than ever...
