PLAYING the game Pokemon Go could provide significant lessons for conservation, a university study has found.

The paper contributed to by Oxford University researchers said people who played the game could be more likely to take an interest in conserving the planet.

In the game an app uses GPS to track players’ movements and alerts them to Pokemon monsters.

Co-author John Mittermeier, a doctoral candidate in Oxford’s School of Geography, said: “Pokémon Go is only one step removed from activities like birdwatching.”