Nagpur: In a major step to improve human–wildlife conflict management, an AI-based alert system designed to warn villagers about tiger and leopard movement has been activated at three locations in Nagpur rural areas near the Pench forest region. The system is expected to be installed at 40 sensitive locations by April 15, enabling early alerts for villagers and forest officials.
According to officials, the technology has already started generating alerts. On Thursday night, villagers and forest department authorities received a second alert about tiger movement near Pipariya village close to Deolapar, indicating the system is functioning effectively.
AI System to Cover 40 Sensitive Locations
The Forest Department, along with Nagpur Rural Police, has identified 40 villages and locations prone to wildlife movement where the system will be installed. These include areas under the Pench Tiger Reserve wildlife division as well as the regional forest division.
Authorities expect the complete installation of the alert network to be completed by April 15, which will help monitor the movement of dangerous wildlife in villages located near forest areas.
Rising Human–Wildlife Conflict in Nagpur Rural
In the last two-and-a-half to three years, Nagpur rural areas have witnessed around 15 incidents in which villagers lost their lives due to attacks by tigers or leopards. Many of these incidents had triggered public anger and created law and order concerns in affected villages.
To address the issue, the Forest Department and Nagpur Rural Police have introduced artificial intelligence-based monitoring technology to provide early warnings about the presence of wild animals in nearby areas.
How the AI Technology Works
The AI-based system has been developed with the support of Marvel, an organisation working to expand the use of AI technology across various government departments.
Under the project, high-capacity advanced cameras have been installed at selected locations in forest fringe areas. The technology works through two methods:
- Bio-acoustic monitoring (sound-based detection)
- Bio-visual monitoring (camera-based visual detection)
When predators such as tigers, leopards or bears enter an area, animals like spotted deer, sambar, monkeys and peacocks produce specific alarm calls to warn other animals. The bio-acoustic system detects these unique sounds, analyses them using AI, and generates an alert message for forest officials and villagers.
Meanwhile, the bio-visual system captures images of animals through cameras. If the system identifies a wild animal in the footage, it automatically sends alert notifications.
Alerts Sent Directly to Mobile Phones
The warning alerts generated by the system are sent directly to the mobile phones of forest officials and local villagers, enabling them to take precautionary measures and avoid entering high-risk areas.
Officials stated that in the past four days alone, the system has already generated two alerts indicating tiger and leopard movement, demonstrating its potential to prevent dangerous encounters.
Expansion Planned for Other Tiger Reserves
Authorities are also planning to expand this technology to other major wildlife reserves in Maharashtra. Proposals have been prepared to install the AI-based wildlife alert system in Navegaon–Nagzira Tiger Reserve and Tadoba–Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district.
Officials confirmed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Forest Department and the technology partner to expand the project in the future.
The initiative is expected to significantly improve early warning systems for villages located near forests, helping reduce human casualties and conflicts caused by tiger and leopard movement in Maharashtra.
