Foresters Plan Radio Collars To Monitor Elephant Herds In Chittoor
19 Sept 2025 10:28 PM IST19 Sept 2025 10:28 PM IST
AP Forest department is planning to use radio collars for monitoring the movement of wild elephants.
AP Forest department (Image:DC)
TIRUPATI: AP Forest department is planning to use radio collars for monitoring the movement of wild elephants. This technology has already shown encouraging results in West Bengal. Radio collar technology is part of the initiative to minimise crop damage and ensure safety of communities living on fringes of forests, particularly in the Palamaner and Kuppam regions of Chittoor district.
Currently, there are six trained kumki elephants stationed at the Musalimadugu camp in Palamaner to divert wild elephants away from habitations and agricultural lands. They serve as the first line of defence whenever wild herds approach villages. However, there are nearly 100 wild elephants in four to five herds that are native to the region. Forest officials believe more advanced measures are required to deal with them successfully.
Radio collars function like GPS devices fitted to vehicles. They are usually put on the leader of the herd, allowing real-time tracking of the elephants’ movement. The collars send hourly signals to monitoring stations, giving forest staff precise information about a herd’s location. Each collar has a battery life of nearly two years, making it a sustainable elephant-tracking tool.
“We will first identify the matriarch or leader of the herd and fit it with a radio collar. Once activated, the device will transmit GPS signals to our monitoring station, enabling us to track the herd’s movements with precision. This will help us issue timely alerts to villagers and plan kumki deployment more effectively”, a senior forest official said.
Once it is found that the elephants are moving towards a habitation, ground teams become alert. Villagers are warned in advance and kumkis stationed to control the herds.
“Following recommendations from the Wildlife Institute of India, a proposal has been sent to the government for approval. Necessary permissions are awaited. Indian Oil Corporation has agreed to extend financial support for the project as part of its corporate social responsibility,” the forest official disclosed.
Radio collars function like GPS devices fitted to vehicles. They are usually put on the leader of the herd, allowing real-time tracking of the elephants’ movement. The collars send hourly signals to monitoring stations, giving forest staff precise information about a herd’s location. Each collar has a battery life of nearly two years, making it a sustainable elephant-tracking tool.
“We will first identify the matriarch or leader of the herd and fit it with a radio collar. Once activated, the device will transmit GPS signals to our monitoring station, enabling us to track the herd’s movements with precision. This will help us issue timely alerts to villagers and plan kumki deployment more effectively”, a senior forest official said.
Once it is found that the elephants are moving towards a habitation, ground teams become alert. Villagers are warned in advance and kumkis stationed to control the herds.
“Following recommendations from the Wildlife Institute of India, a proposal has been sent to the government for approval. Necessary permissions are awaited. Indian Oil Corporation has agreed to extend financial support for the project as part of its corporate social responsibility,” the forest official disclosed.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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