Thermal cameras to check rail track crossing by jumbos

“Conflict zones were identified and trenches dug to prevent intrusion of elephants into villages in traditional methods. With the passage of time, the trenches were damaged and elephants managed to cross them easily. In such areas, thermal cameras will be fixed to monitor their movement,” said S Ramasubramanian, conservator of forests, Coimbatore Circle. 

The official said elephant movements can be monitored for up to two kilometres by fixing thermal cameras, which captures images using infrared rays. Currently, the department has firmed up plans to fix thermal cameras in Marudamalai area, where elephants often frequent, posing a threat to devotees visiting the hill shrine. 

These advanced cameras, imported from China, are generally used by the Army in border areas to track enemy movement. If there is any tusker presence, the thermal images will be recorded and an alert will be sent to the Forest Department. Two months ago, thermal sensors were fixed on rail tracks running from Palakkad to Madukkarai, for a stretch of about 250 metres to detect elephant intrusions. 

Addressing the media as part of a sensitisation programme on Monday, Ramasubramanian said besides using technology, as part of project ‘Kaliru’, an initiative to prevent man-animal conflict, 45 villages have been identified as vulnerable to such conflicts and sensitisation programmes were being conducted. 

The project has been implemented at a cost estimate of Rs 1.38 crore to prevent man-animal conflicts in seven ranges in Coimbatore.