Real-time Tiger Alerts in India: AI-Powered Cameras Take Charge
TrailGuard's cutting-edge AI-enabled cameras instantly detect and transmit real-time images of specific species, such as tigers, revolutionizing wildlife monitoring with unmatched accuracy
The tiger moves stealthily through the jungle, blending effortlessly into the dappled shadows with her stripes. While she may be hard for a human or a deer to spot, she is no match for artificial intelligence.
Resolve, a US-based NGO, has developed TrailGuard AI, a cutting-edge camera trap that can detect specific species and instantly transmit images of them.
The technology was originally developed to combat poaching, and its first field-test took place in a reserve in East Africa in 2018. Resolve reported that this test led to the arrest of 30 poachers. In India, conservationists recognized its potential for managing human-tiger conflict.
TrailGuard incorporates an advanced vision chip with embedded AI that can identify up to 10 species, including tigers, leopards, elephants, and humans. The data is then transmitted in real-time to park rangers via cell phone signal or long-range radio. Because it only recognizes specific species, it consumes less energy than regular camera traps, allowing it to remain in the field for over two years without needing a battery change every month.
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Using AI to safeguard India's growing tiger population
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CNN
AI of the tiger
In the Kanha-Pench corridor in Madhya Pradesh, also known as Indias "tiger state," TrailGuard AI conducted a two-month trial last year, deploying 12 cameras. This 3,150-square-kilometer (1,216-square-mile) area is home to over 300 tigers, making it the largest population in central India. The landscape includes the Pench Tiger Reserve, the Kanha Tiger Reserve, and a forest corridor connecting the two, allowing tigers to freely move between the reserves, ultimately aiding in the population's flourishing and genetic diversity.
The forest is not only home to tigers, but also around 600,000 people living in 715 scattered villages. Additionally, there are 2.7 million people living within five kilometers of the tiger conservation landscape, which can lead to conflicts with the big cats. One common form of human-wildlife conflict is tigers killing livestock, leading to villagers losing their livelihood and potentially resulting in "retaliation killings" that impact the endangered tiger population.
But TrailGuard AIs instant transmission of information can safeguard these communities, according to Piyush Yadav, a conservation technology fellow at Resolve. When the camera captures an image of one of its target species, it sends the image and information - including the location, time of detection, and the species detected - via email and instant messaging apps to forest rangers.
TrailGuard transmits images from the camera trap to forest rangers' phones instantly.
Vijay Bedi/CNN
Yadav explains, "By utilizing real-time data, we have developed an early alert system to notify villagers of a tiger's presence within 300 meters of their location, enabling them to respond more effectively." Once a tiger is spotted near a village, forest rangers can communicate the information to the community through Whatsapp or Telegram, allowing residents to take necessary precautions to safeguard themselves and their livestock. Additionally, in the event of livestock being attacked, the captured images serve as evidence for villagers to expedite compensation claims from the authorities. This facilitates quicker processing of payments.
According to Himmat Singh Negi, the former director of Kanha Tiger Reserve, using this technology helps the community to be more tolerant of living alongside an apex predator. "When we first saw the impressive results produced by the technology, it was truly amazing," Negi said. "Those working directly in the field were thrilled and were able to prevent potentially dangerous situations from occurring."
The increasing human-wildlife conflict globally requires technology to mitigate the issue. Around tiger conservation areas, the human population grew by 19.5 million people from 2000 to 2020. In India, 35% of the tiger population permanently resides outside of designated reserves.
"This is more than just a camera; it's a management tool. With this technology, you can save human lives, protect livestock in those areas, and even the tiger itself," Negi explains.
Increasing accuracy
In the previous year, TrailGuard AI underwent a second trial at a tiger reserve in Dudhwa, a 1,310-square-kilometer (560-square-mile) protected area housing around 107 tigers that wander between three sanctuaries. It resulted in the apprehension of four poachers who ventured into the forest after nightfall, according to Yadav.
The results of the trials conducted at Kanha-Pench and Dudhwa were published in the peer-reviewed journal BioScience in September. The findings revealed that the cameras had an accuracy rate of 98.8% and also marked the first instance of an automatic, AI-enabled camera transmitting images of a wild tiger. Even though the trials have concluded, forest staff are still utilizing the cameras and receiving daily notifications.
Resolve has recently upgraded the vision chip in their cameras, claiming that this modification will enhance accuracy and speed. These new cameras are set to be utilized in the Kanha-Pench and Dudhwa reserves in the coming months, as well as in the state of West Bengal for a trial aimed at managing human-elephant conflict in the area.
This technology is now being commercialized and scaled through a spinout company called Nightjar, with plans to produce 500 units by March 2024. Nightjar has also divulged that they have already received pre-orders from wildlife habitat management companies.
Tigers, as apex predators, play a crucial role in preserving the forest ecosystem, which supports the livelihoods of numerous communities. Yadav is optimistic that TrailGuard will promote the coexistence of tigers and local people, ensuring the well-being of both species in the area.
"The villagers understand the importance of tigers for their own livelihood, the ecosystem, and the future of their children," explains Yadav. "Our work is driven by the need for coexistence, where both species can thrive."
