Monitoring of wild animals and forest terrains is unfolding real time in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR).
A cost-effective ‘video surveillance-cum-communication enhancer intranet network,’ which can monitor animal movements and forest areas real time, has been installed in the reserve. Microwave antennas and towers are used to set up the network.
Visuals of elephants, sambar, gaur, porcupine, wild boar, sloth bear, wild dogs and birds visiting a marshy field have been recorded though tigers have evaded the camera eyes so far. The system allows the designated officers to watch animal movements and inaccessible terrains real time using their smartphones from anywhere in the world.
The initiative came from the the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation. The Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kottayam, too partnered in the project.
A night vision camera unit and a tower has been installed at Poovarashu, a marshy field which is 13 km into the Periyar forest and frequented by wild animals.
The visuals are routed to another unit set up at Mangaladevi Hills to be rerouted to the Divisional Forest Office of the PTR at Thekkady.
The network is powered by solar panels and the antenna, camera and solar panels are set up at a height inaccessible to animals.
During daytime, the field of the cameras will be 1 km and 100 metres at night. The camera can be remotely panned 360 degrees and tilted to cover a wide range of field, said officials associated with the project.
The cost of the system worked out to ₹4.5 lakh, which is inexpensive when compared to other systems available.
The surveillance system would be installed at Sabarimala during the pilgrim season. Cameras would be set up at the Sannidhanam, Uppupara, Karimala, Orakkuzhi, Puthussery, and Pamba for crowd management during the festival season. Later, it can be used for monitoring wildlife.
The system can be used for anti-poaching operations, behaviour studies of animals in their natural habitats and videoconferencing with the field staff out in the forest. If all the anti-poaching camp sheds established in the interior forests are linked to the network, surveillance could be made effective.
It could also be used to directly transmit the camera trap images from the field to the office. Radio-collared animals could also be tracked using the system, explained an official.
