West Bengal forest department officials visit ATR

Coimbatore: A team of forest department officials from West Bengal visited the Anamalai Tiger Reserve on Thursday to learn about the effective strategies implemented to mitigate human-elephant conflicts in Valparai.
The focus of interest was on the smart virtual fencing and the early warning systems adopted in the Valparai plateau. The smart virtual fencing uses infrared sensors and alarms to deter elephants from entering human-dominated areas.
The team was briefed about an AI-enabled camera surveillance system installed on railway tracks at Madukkarai.
The other key strategies adopted in Valparai plateau include community engagement, SMS alerts where bulk SMS services send alerts to residents about elephant movements, awareness campaigns and installation of container ration shops.
The forest department officials specified that adopting such innovative conservation efforts by the Pollachi division of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve and their approach to human-elephant conflict had shown promising results. By leveraging technology and community engagement, the ATR has been able to reduce the number of human-elephant conflicts and minimize damage to lives and property.
The team of visitors from West Bengal included Debasish Mahimaprasad, DFO of Bankura (North) division, Subhasis Ghosh, ADFO of Medinipur division, Balaram Pacha, ADFO of Jhargram division, Saikat Biswas, range officer, Medinipur division, and Tapaprata Roy, range officer, Panchet division.