Keeping peace at the forest fringes

KAU develops early alert system against straying elephants

October 24, 2017 06:51 pm | Updated 06:51 pm IST - Thrissur

Against the backdrop of increasing man-elephant conflicts, the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has developed a system to alert intrusion of wild elephants into human habitats.

The system, developed by K. Gopa Kumar, professor at KAU’s College of Forestry, in collaboration with scientists at Government Model Engineering College, Thrikkakkara, and Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC), Mundur, facilitates wireless messages to human habitations within five kilometers.

Dr. Gopa Kumar initiated research, as part of a Western Ghats Cell funded research project, for developing an all-weather electronic system for early warning about the presence of wild animals.

The first sensing system developed, using IR (infrared) sensors and high resolution IR camera, was set up at Wadi project area in the Pudur grama panchayat in Palakkad, one of the main elephant pathways in the State.

“However, the first prototype was inefficient to distinguish the elephant from other animals coming in the view of the camera. Thus we developed an algorithm for the exact detection of elephants to avoid false alarm. Once the moving animal is confirmed as elephant, the system sends a message to a receiver kept around 2km away. Subsequently a wireless alert message will be relayed to human habitations located around 3-5 km from the elephant pathways,” explained Dr. Gopa Kumar.

KAU Vice-Chancellor P. Rajendran said that the system assumed importance in the backdrop of increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict, which is a growing concern.

“The overlapping needs of human and wildlife are the primary cause of such conflicts. Fragmented habitats, water and food requirements are forcing wild animals to intrude human habitations. Large herbivores like the wild elephants pose a major threat to life and property in many forest fringe areas in Kerala. A forewarning about the presence of elephant can help people taking precautionary measures,” he said.

P. Indira Devi, KAU Director of Research, said that the device would be also useful in sending early warning to railway authorities about presence of elephants on the Walayar-Kanjikode elephant death trap, forewarn forest staff about elephants attempting to cross NH 212 adjoining wild life sanctuaries in Wayanad, Muthanga and Bandipur, and alert forest fringe communities about possible elephant intrusions. In the similar concept, animal-specific devices (for wild boar, peacocks etc) could also be developed, she noted.

M. Pradeep and Jagdeesh Kumar of Government Model Engineering College, Thrikkakkara, and R. Satish of IRTC, Mundur, were co investigators of the project.

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