AI Cameras Save 270 Elephants in Odisha

AI Cameras Help Save 270 Elephants in Odisha

Rourkela: In a significant boost to wildlife conservation efforts, Artificial Intelligence-powered surveillance cameras have helped prevent the deaths of at least 270 elephants in Sundargarh district over the past year, forest department sources said on Thursday.

The AI-enabled system, installed in November 2024 in the Rourkela Forest Division, monitors elephant movement near railway tracks that pass through key wildlife corridors. Train accidents have long been a major cause of elephant fatalities in forested regions where rail lines intersect migratory paths.

According to Divisional Forest Officer Yashwant Sethi, AI cameras were installed at four vulnerable locations — Dollakudar and Kucheita along the Bandhamunda–Barasuan line, and Mahipani and Sonakhan on the busy Mumbai–Howrah railway route — all previously identified as accident-prone stretches.

Since installation, the system has generated around 880 alerts whenever elephants approached the tracks. These real-time warnings enabled forest authorities to coordinate with railway control rooms to slow down or halt trains, ensuring safe passage for the animals.

“In one year, we received 880 alerts. Based on visual monitoring and coordinated action, we estimate that around 270 elephants were safely guided across the tracks,” Sethi said.

He cited a recent instance in which a herd of 23 elephants approached the line at about 12:33 am. The AI tower triggered an alert, and train movement was suspended for nearly two and a half hours until the herd crossed safely.

Officials said the technology-driven intervention marks a major step toward reducing human-wildlife conflict and preventing elephant deaths in railway accidents — a recurring concern in habitats across eastern and northeastern India.

The initiative is now being viewed as a potential model for other elephant corridors in the country where rail infrastructure intersects forest areas.