Tamil Nadu deploys AI solutions for wildlife safety amid elephant deaths on railway tracks

Encouraged by the success of an artificial intelligence-based early warning system in Madukkarai, Coimbatore, which has helped prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday launched an AI-powered Command and Control Centre for human–wildlife conflict management in Gudalur.

Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests Supriya Sahu said there had been “zero” elephant deaths on railway tracks in Madukkarai over the past two years, an area that had earlier witnessed several fatal incidents.

“Last night, I was with my team at the Madukkarai AI Elephant Centre, reviewing the functioning of the AI early-warning system, which has enabled nearly 6,000 safe elephant crossings, showing that technology can meaningfully reduce conflict when applied thoughtfully,” she said in a post on social media platform X. She added that while no system was perfect, such solutions demonstrated the value of prioritising prevention.

The AI warning system, launched in February 2024 in the Madukkarai forest range, uses 12 towers equipped with 24 high-resolution thermal cameras to detect elephant movement within 150 feet of railway tracks and instantly alert forest and railway officials. The system can also detect other wildlife such as deer, gaur, leopards, dholes and even king cobras.

The newly launched AI-powered Command and Control Centre in the Gudalur Forest Division of the Nilgiris district marks a significant step in adopting scientific, technology-driven and community-oriented measures to address human–wildlife conflict, the government said.

Gudalur is among the most conflict-prone landscapes in Tamil Nadu, with fragmented reserve forests interspersed with plantations, private landholdings and dense human settlements, while also forming part of traditional elephant corridors. According to officials, habitat fragmentation and disruption of migration routes have led to an increase in human–elephant encounters, resulting in casualties, injuries, crop damage, livestock loss and property damage.

Conventional measures such as trenches and solar fencing have proven only partially effective in this dynamic landscape, prompting the need for a coordinated and predictive system. The AI-enabled centre, established at a cost of ₹6 crore at Genepool Garden in the Nadugani range, will function as a 24×7 centralised hub integrating real-time monitoring, early warnings, rapid response coordination, data analysis and community engagement.

As many as 46 vulnerable conflict locations have been identified across the Gudalur Forest Division. Of these, 34 locations have been fitted with AI-enabled surveillance cameras, while 12 locations are equipped with advanced monitoring systems offering 360-degree detection. The system processes real-time data to identify elephant movement and generate actionable alerts, which are communicated to local communities to enable timely response by forest personnel. A dedicated toll-free helpline (1800-425-4353) has also been activated.

The centre will be supported by two thermal imaging drones for aerial surveillance, particularly at night and in low-visibility areas. Three GPS-enabled radio collars have been procured to scientifically track elephant movement, with data integrated into the system to facilitate predictive patrolling and long-term wildlife management.

Trained personnel will operate the centre in shifts, supported by around 120 temporary watchers alongside frontline forest staff. An additional 40 temporary watchers will be deployed during the peak elephant migration season from June to September.

Officials said the initiative has been designed as a scalable and replicable model, which could be extended to other high-conflict regions across Tamil Nadu. The inauguration was attended by DMK MP A Raja, senior forest officials and district authorities.

The launch of the AI-based command centre comes against the backdrop of continued human–wildlife conflict in other parts of the country. In Assam, a New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express derailed in the early hours of Saturday after hitting a herd of elephants on the railway track, killing eight animals, forest officials said.