Telangana forest department plans to use Artificial Intelligence for wildlife conservation

At present, the department officials monitor wildlife movement and any disturbances through images captured by camera traps

Hyderabad: The State forest department is now planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solution for wildlife conservation, including animal migration pattern, species identification, poaching activities and forest fires for initiating measures in a more effective and faster manner.

At present, the department officials monitor wildlife movement and any disturbances through images captured by camera traps. These cameras are installed at strategic locations in the forests. However, the SD cards installed in the cameras get filled up with images and officials have to replace them regularly.

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The extraction of data from the SD cards is done manually. This is expensive and time-consuming besides, the images cannot be accessed on real-time basis.

Considering all these factors, the department is now planning to use AI-based solutions. AI algorithms will process the data from the camera traps through deep-learning techniques and analyse the same on real time basis.

This will help the officials in providing valuable insights on the number, location and movement of wild animals in the forest. It will also aid in identifying bird spotting zones, ecotourism zones and human-animal conflict areas, said an official from the department.

The advanced AI solutions would also be helpful in species identification, population monitoring, behaviour pattern and habitat assessment. With near real-time monitoring, officials get instant updates on various aspects, including deforestation activities, wildlife movements, illegal logging, and fire outbreaks. This would aid in cutting down the response time and take up proactive measures efficiently.

These updates would include latitude and longitude details of the location where any unauthorized activity and other incidents are observed. The solution would be accessible through mobiles as well.

The department is in the process of identifying agencies through tenders for developing the AI solution. Once selected, the agency has to implement the project at few strategic locations, including Farhabad gate, view point and others in Amrabad Tiger Reserve. This apart, the agency would also develop programmes to ensure security of the data and maintain audit logs, the official said.