Is it possible to harness artificial intelligence to promote wildlife conservation? AI has improved every industry, greatly impacting people’s lives in everything from civil issues to healthcare. Given that there is a lot of human-animal conflict in India’s rural areas, is it not time to apply AI for the benefit of all Indians living there?
Why not take this opportunity to learn more about the topic on World Wildlife Day?
Significant human-animal conflicts have resulted from the encroachment of fast-growing populations and expanding infrastructure into once-safe wildlife habitats, especially in India, which is home to 80% of the world’s wild tiger population. One such instance occurred a few years ago in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, during the reign of the infamous “maneater” tiger RT-1, which is known for taking the lives of eight people and twenty-five animals. Deputy Director (Buffer) Kushagra Pathak of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve notes that in the last eight years alone, tussles between tigers and villagers have claimed 225 lives in the town.
According to a 2022 report, Maharashtra experienced the largest number of man-animal confrontations in that year, resulting in 100 human casualties. This presents a concerning image. While the nation commemorates the historic 1973 Project Tiger, which successfully increased the population of big cats from 1800 in the 1970s to 3167 in 2023, there has also been an increase in incidents of mauling and human-animal conflict.
Can technology assist in resolving this problem? The United Nations calls for the integration of technology and animals, advocating against their continued separation. As “Digital Innovations in Wildlife Conservation” is the official theme of World Wildlife Day in 2024, we are bringing attention to a revolutionary advancement in this field.
Promoting AI for the benefit of society in Chandrapur and beyond
A Noida-based business called “Valiance Solutions” is driving change in this area with the use of its AI-powered social good solutions.
Valiance Solutions, led by Shailendra Singh Kathait, is committed to leveraging AI to strengthen companies. Their cutting-edge technology, “Wildlife Eye,” is attempting to reduce human-animal conflict in more than 13 Maharashtran villages, pushing the boundaries. On a recent edition of “Mann ki Baat,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised their wonderful initiative.
The Prime Minister praised the way in which modern technology is ensuring that people and animals may live together, and he mentioned this breakthrough in Chandrapur as a prime example. He said, “Innovation is safeguarding both people and tigers.”
Sitaram Peth hamlet in Bhadrawati, Chandrapur, Maharashtra, appears to be picture-perfect to the uninitiated eye. The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve’s verdant surroundings provide a backdrop for the terrain, which is peppered with temples and lakes. The region, which is home to one of India’s 47 Project Tiger reserves, is a haven for the magnificent tiger as well as other animals like the striped hyena, leopard, sambar, and marsh crocodile.
It appears like living in the village would be a lovely experience. However, the opposite side of the tale would only be known by an insider.
It only takes one unexpected sighting of pugmarks to ruin the everyday routines of the people. The origin of these prints is not surprising. Its four-legged striped proprietors can be seen wandering around the village roads as the sun sets, periodically filling up on Tadoba Lake. And the people have been concerned as their numbers have been growing; as per the Status of Tigers 2022 report, there are 248 tigers in the world.
It is not a good equation when you consider that the tigers have mauled some of their family members and cattle. Ignorance is starting to wear thin.
The answer? “Wildlife Eye “
Known for their territorial behaviour, tigers were formerly frequently seen as lone animals that inhabited an area of 100 square kilometres. However, these magnificent animals now face difficulties in their hunting attempts due to the growing tiger population, reduced forest cover, and decreased herbivorous prey. According to Shailendra Singh Kathait, “this has led to an increased incidence of tigers entering human settlements in search of easier prey.”
Valiance created “Wildlife Eye,” an AI for Bharat project designed to address practical issues in rural regions, in response to the urgent problem. Using a combination of computer vision and artificial intelligence, this ground-breaking, patent-pending technology is the first of its kind to detect possible animal encroachments and notify residents and first responders in advance.
Envision a smart camera positioned on the outskirts of human settlements and designed to notify people in the event that it detects the approach of a beast. This innovation operates precisely in that manner.
Potential animal incursions are detected using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision. The configuration’s edge analytics, power and communication panels, hooters, red lights, LED lights, smart AI cameras, and edge tracking make it possible to track and monitor individual tigers with such precision that even subtle behavioural changes can be detected.
This refers to circumstances in which tigers begin to purposefully attack livestock, such as sheep and cows, leading to direct clashes with people. In addition, the system can spot indicators like fractured canines, wounds, or the beginning of aging—conditions that reduce the animals’ capacity for hunting in their native environment, according to Kathait. He continues by saying that one remarkable aspect of this invention is its capacity to forecast animal activity, including that of tigers, leopards, and bears.
This, he claims, aids in anticipating when a tiger may start acting more aggressively.
Images from smart cameras are sent to a cloud server via an IoT platform, where data processing takes place. After identifying species, the system uses a deep neural network based on a proprietary technique to uniquely identify tigers, allowing for real-time tracking in situations when there are conflicts between humans and tigers. The signals are then transmitted to forest officials via smartphone apps.
In doing so, it enables officials to act quickly while also enabling public reaction teams at the village level to become aware. Kathait attributes the innovation’s success to its ability to identify human infractions of the jungle between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am.
“This system ensures a watchful watch over the restricted hours and reinforces the preservation of the jungle’s integrity by not only alerting but also recording and capturing those involved,” says Kathait. She also adds that red lights and hooters strategically placed throughout human habitats form part of an extensive safety network.
An example of success
The Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is having great success as the first tiger reserve in India to use a virtual wall system powered by artificial intelligence.
Conflicts between people and wildlife were formerly a common worry, but according to Kathait, in the last nine months, they have sent over 650 alerts to authorities, essentially stopping more attacks. “There have been no reported incidents thus far, demonstrating the effectiveness of the system,” he says. He provides an example to demonstrate the innovation’s effectiveness.
A few weeks prior, we had reports of a tiger that was into human territory at around 7 am, which greatly increased the likelihood of violence while villagers went about their everyday lives. The virtual barrier recognised the tiger’s existence at that precise moment, determined there was a significant chance of confrontation, and immediately sent out alerts. Together with the sound of a hooter, this timely warning successfully deflected the tiger’s attention, causing it to quickly retreat.
Kathait, who grew up in Dehradun close to a well-known tiger reserve, finds personal significance in these stories. Heartbreaking tales of natives being mauled to death would frequently reach his ears. For him, being able to contribute to a clever solution is a win. He underlines that safeguarding animals is just as important as protecting people. The fact that the Wildlife Eye is community-centric and prioritises advantages to the local community is evidence of Valiance’s dedication to employing AI for social good.
“The value of human life is immeasurable, and assigning a numerical figure to it is beyond consideration,” adds Kathait in further explanation. Animal assaults that result in the death of people or animals injuring cattle not only cost the exchequer crores of rupees, but they also incite social unrest. Our approach is to prevent these kinds of accidents, improving public safety and lessening the financial and psychological damage brought on by these regrettable occurrences.
Even though the model has been successful, there have been difficulties. Image transmission to the algorithm was hampered by the Chandrapur villages’ lack of a strong network. In order to solve this problem, Kathait and his colleagues had to innovate the Edge AI algorithm on a technological level. Thanks to this innovation, the deployed algorithms can now function with lower consumption.
When a single camera was first running around the clock, data was transferred at a pace of 121 GB per day. Edge devices were used to selectively communicate the data only when an object was spotted in order to address this problem. Now, for each camera, the daily data transfer was two to three gigabytes,” he observes.
The locals are also benefiting greatly from the virtual wall system. According to Kathait, this was also a process, and acceptance was eventually attained through conversations and workshops.
We assisted them in realising the ways in which this technology will enhance their standard of living by saving lives and protecting their cattle. In addition, assistance from the village panchayat and forest officials was helpful, and now everyone is a key component of this, he adds.
Regarding Kathait, he advises individuals to assess the innovation’s success based on its numerical values. “The lives that are saved is how we measure the effectiveness of our system.”
