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AI Shields Lions From Trains in India
19 Aug
Summary
- Technology deployed to divert lions from railway tracks.
- No lion deaths recorded on tracks between August 2024 and May 2026.
- AI-based monitoring and LED lights enhance train safety for wildlife.
Gujarat has implemented a technological shield to protect the Asiatic lion population from fatal train collisions. Between August 2024 and May 2026, a notable period saw no lion deaths on railway tracks within the Asiatic Lion landscape, a significant achievement following 19 fatalities between 2014 and 2024. This success is attributed to a comprehensive safety regime that includes 70 railway trackers, vegetation clearance, and watchtowers.
The deployed Intrusion Detection System (IDS) integrates AI-based monitoring, CCTV surveillance, LED headlights on trains, and optic fibre cables to detect and alert about lion movements near tracks. While the AI component is still evolving, its implementation in hotspot areas aims for early detection and alarm raising. Optic fibre cables have been laid in the Liliya-Savarkundla section to monitor lion activity.
This initiative stems from a suo motu Public Interest Litigation in the Gujarat High Court, where authorities presented an affidavit detailing the mitigation measures. The court has been informed of 6,682 lions diverted from railway tracks and ongoing efforts to improve underpass usability and railway safety measures. Upcoming reviews will assess the retrofitting of underpasses and the impact of LED headlights and the IDS.
