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Ranthambore Uses AI to Keep Villages Safe From Big Cats
7 Oct
Summary
- AI system tests wildlife detection to alert villagers to big cat movements.
- Pilot project covers five villages in Phalodi range for leopard conflict.
- Technology aims to detect animals at settlement edges, preventing encounters.
To combat increasing man-animal conflicts, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) administration is implementing an AI-based wildlife detection system. This initiative was prompted by recent leopard and cattle attacks in villages bordering the reserve, raising significant concerns among residents.
The pilot project currently monitors five villages in the Phalodi range, focusing on leopard movements. The AI system utilizes sensors to identify animals entering monitored zones, particularly those nearing populated areas. Upon detection, an alarm is triggered to warn villagers and guide the animal back into the forest.
This innovative technology is being tested using a model successfully deployed in Kerala for elephant monitoring. RTR officials have strategically placed devices along known animal trails near Sawai Madhopur city and villages like Dumonda, Hindwad, and Todra. The primary goal is to detect wildlife at the settlement's periphery before any harmful encounters occur.
