Indigenously made cost effective and light weight radio collars for elephants released
Indigenous radio-collars are manufactured by Infiction Labs Private Limited in association with Karnataka Forest Department
By : M B GIRISH
Update: 2025-02-05 11:40 GMT
Bengaluru: Indigenously manufactured radio-collars, Karnataka Products (K.P.) Trackers, to track movement of elephant herds was released by Minister of Forests and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre in Bengaluru on Wednesday and these radio-collars are cost-effective when compared with the radio-collars imported from South Africa and Germany.
Indigenous radio-collars are manufactured by Infiction Labs Private Limited in association with Karnataka Forest Department. While imported costs Rs 6.5 lakh for a radio-collar but the indigenously made radio-collars costs Rs 1.8 lakh per piece. Besides, importing radio-collars from South Africa and Germany to Karnataka took time.
Khandre stated "With the fitment of imported radio-collars to elephants, there were doubts that data of elephants could leak into foreign hands but with indigenous radio-collars suich fears are ruled out. Data of elephant movements are stored safely in servers."
As of now, indigenously made radio-collars are designed to fit elephants and efforts are underway to design radio-collars for big cats such as tigers and leopards. Minister exuded confidence of coming out with radio-collars for tigers and leopards soon.
These radio-collars manufactured in Bengaluru will be fitted to the matriarch of an elephant herd and forest officials keep track of elephant movements through radio-collars.
With the help of radio-collars fitted, officials concerned will keep a close eye on elephants if any elephant herds stray out of forests to enter human habitations. The information gathered through radio-collars fitted to elephants will help alert residents to stay alert on the presence of elephants in their vicinity.
Encounters of elephants and humans have been a long standing menace for the people of Madikeri, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts in Karnataka. However, indigenously made radio-collars will be first used in Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves.
Apart from cost factor, another advantage of indigenously made radio-collars are light in weight. A imported radio-collar weighed about 17 kgs but the indigenously made radio-collar weighs about 7 kgs.
In addition, imported radio-collars could not be repaired to put into use but with the indigenously made radio-collars, option available to replace bulb, battery and circuit and put into use again on tracking wild animals.
Eshwar Khandre said these indigenously made radio-collars are safe on wild animals and data gathered from fitted radio-collars are stored safely in servers.