Bhubaneswar: From thwarting poachers and spotting forest fires to preventing accidental death of elephants, the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised forest and wildlife protection in Odisha, showcasing how cutting-edge technology can play a pivotal role in safeguarding the ecosystem.
The State, in fact, is setting a benchmark in forest and wildlife conservation by harnessing the power of technological intervention in dealing with the critical challenges. Capable of capturing high resolution photos even during night, Al-integrated cameras are helping the authorities of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the biggest tiger habitat in the state, in ensuring every corner of the protected area is under surveillance.
Around 100 Al integrated trail guard cameras have been installed in Similipal to monitor the movement of big cats and other wild animals and check trespassing of poachers and other wildlife criminals inside the protected area.
Coupled with the foot patrolling of forest guards, these Al-enabled cam- eras have turned out to be a stealth weapon for the STR authorities in keeping a close watch on trespassers. Since their trial run in March last year, the Al cameras have helped forest officials of STR track down around 20 poachers and individuals involved in different wildlife crimes and forest offences.
These cameras are capable of identifying human and animal movement within their range and click their pictures stealthily. The Al algorithms in these cameras have been fine-tuned to cater to the needs of the Similipal range. Similipal is now planning to increase their number to 250, said STR field director Prakash Chand Gogineni. He said the Al tool is also being used to check incidents of wildfire that have emerged as a major challenge in recent years.
Ahead of the upcoming forest fire season that will commence from January 2025, STR authorities have set up five Al-enabled camera towers, having a visual range of about 20 km, to detect forest fire and send alarm to the control room for quick response and minimising damage.
Apart from bolstering the protection measures in Similipal, Al has also demonstrated its transformative potential by preventing a major rail accident and saving the lives of three elephants, including a calf, in the Rourkela forest division recently.
The Al-enabled thermal camera detected a herd of elephants as they approached close to a railway track in Rourkela earlier this month and alerted the control room of both the forest department and the railways with inputs and thermal images enabling them to swiftly respond to the situation. Railway officials delayed the movement of a goods train by half an-hour, preventing a major accident from taking place on the track.
“Use of the advanced surveillance tool is proving to be a game-changer, offering real-time monitoring and enhanced decision-making capabilities to the wildlife authorities,” said PCCF Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Prem Kumar Jha.
Jha said, the wildlife wing is also planning to introduce Al cameras in more forests including the Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Mahanadi Wildlife Division and Angul and Dhenkanal forest divisions in the coming days.
Sources said the State forest department is also planning to install five Al integrated camera towers in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary where it plans to introduce five big cats in the near future to transform the landscape into a tiger reserve.
“There will be wider use of Al cameras in the monitoring of wildlife movement and forest fire in the state in the coming days,” the PCCF Wildlife said and added that apart from Al, they have also started using the very small aperture terminal (VSAT) communication technology in the remote and accessible pockets of forests to strengthen wildlife protection and conservation measures in the state.