Man-elephant conflicts have been a source of worry for a while now, even in Karnataka. However, the GPS tracking system currently being used on elephants promises to ease the situation for troubled villagers and wildlife conservators alike.

“Tracking is usually done through satellites and it is helpful, especially if the animal is deep in the jungle,” said Professor Sukumar, from the centre for Ecological Studies, Indian Institute of Science. “However, the information is stored in the satellite and retrieving it is a time-consuming, energy intensive and expensive procedure.”

Which is why the GPS system is catching on so fast. “We can insert a SIM card into the radio collar of the elephant and actually track its position every couple of hours,” said the professor.

“The collar will switch on once every two hours and send an SMS with the exact location of the elephant,” added Prof. Sukumar. “The system is cheaper, uses less energy and all we need is an on-ground location that will receive the messages, based on which we will know where the elephant is and in which direction it is moving.” This might mean that the tracking system is dependent on network coverage in an area. However, being a purely practical endeavour, this works just fine.

Tracking an elephant as it is approaching a village, gives enough time to alert the authorities and locals.

Prof. Sukumar, however, declined to comment on whether this was going to be used with the Hassan elephant issue, saying that the matter was sub-judice and that he was in no position to speak until the first meeting had been held. This was a matter of concern for the Karnataka Forest Department, he said.