# Concerns for Protected Species **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [May 18, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126 "2026-05-18T12:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drowningcreek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/drowningcreek/32/72687_2.png) [@drowningcreek](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/drowningcreek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/1 "2026-05-18T12:30:33Z")
Anyone else have concerns about protected species not actually being protected when obscured? If we’ve been visiting a location and have one protected species obscured but not all the neighboring species a poacher can easily pinpoint the location of the obscured species. I was discussing this with a local herpetologist yesterday and this is something they and several other state employees have been concerned about. How should iNat handle this? Should they obscure the time and date of the observance too? Or protect the species in some other way? ---
**Author:** ![pisum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@pisum](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pisum)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/2 "2026-05-18T12:36:13Z")
if you’re really that concerned about someone else discovering the location of a particular observation, you shouldn’t post it at all. the obscuration feature in iNat doesn’t fully protect the location. it’s possible for any random person to get the underlying observation of _any_ observation obscured in the system, and it doesn’t require any interpolation based on other observations. ---
**Author:** ![drowningcreek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/drowningcreek/32/72687_2.png) [@drowningcreek](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/drowningcreek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/3 "2026-05-18T12:46:57Z")
Could you clarify a bit further? How can they get access to that information? Also, I would hope that iNat would make further efforts to protect those protected species. I may be aware of the possible issues, but not every observer will be and will post thinking they’ve done their due diligence. ---
**Author:** ![deboas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/deboas/32/45_2.png) [@deboas](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/deboas)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/4 "2026-05-18T12:52:18Z")
> [@drowningcreek](#): > > Should they obscure the time and date of the observance too? iNat already does this (see the [Help article](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169938-what-is-geoprivacy-what-does-it-mean-for-an-observation-to-be-obscured-) for more). You may be interested to read the many other threads on the forum about the pros and cons, and the limitations, of obscuring locations of threatened species. ---
**Author:** ![NatePerk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nateperk/32/35326_2.png) [@NatePerk](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/NatePerk)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:53pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/5 "2026-05-18T12:53:06Z")
> How should iNat handle this? Should they obscure the time and date of the observance too? Or protect the species in some other way? If it’s you, don’t upload them to iNat. ---
**Author:** ![pisum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@pisum](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pisum)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/6 "2026-05-18T12:54:32Z")
> [@drowningcreek](#): > > I may be aware of the possible issues you’re describing an interpolation issue, which is an obvious problem that affects _some_ observations that are obscured. iNat talks about that problem on this page about geoprivacy: [https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169938-what-is-geoprivacy-what-does-it-mean-for-an-observation-to-be-obscured-](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169938-what-is-geoprivacy-what-does-it-mean-for-an-observation-to-be-obscured-). in that same section, it talks about other potential problems. the thing that i’m talking about is not described here, probably because describing it would tell people how to do it, which nobody wants. i won’t clarify for the same reason. all you need to know is that the problem exists, it’s not obvious, it affects _any_ obscured observation, and the best thing to protect an observation that needs 100% location protection is to not post the observation at all. ---
**Author:** ![drowningcreek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/drowningcreek/32/72687_2.png) [@drowningcreek](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/drowningcreek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/7 "2026-05-18T12:58:43Z")
That’s good to know! Thank you for the info and link! ---
**Author:** ![drowningcreek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/drowningcreek/32/72687_2.png) [@drowningcreek](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/drowningcreek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/8 "2026-05-18T13:01:24Z")
Yes, I will not but, again, not all individual observers will recognize the potential issues so the onus should be on iNaturalist to either make the observer aware of the potential issues with posting or protect the location and time of the observation (thankfully it’s sounding like they do protect the time and date, per other folks on here). ---
**Author:** ![drowningcreek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/drowningcreek/32/72687_2.png) [@drowningcreek](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/drowningcreek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/9 "2026-05-18T13:02:08Z")
> [@pisum](#): > > about other potential probl Very good to know. Thank you for clarifying/informing! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/concerns-for-protected-species/79126/10 "2026-07-17T13:02:16Z")
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