BHUBANESWAR : In a bid to strengthen measures to crack down on poachers and wildlife criminals, the state government on Thursday introduced Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK) system, an advanced data-driven platform that has revolutionised wildlife crime monitoring and enforcement in south India.
Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati launched the cloud-based information management system, developed by the wildlife wing of the state Forest department in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and NTT DATA, at the valedictory ceremony of the 71st National Wildlife Week 2025.
HAWK is an advanced India-developed conservation technology platform, designed to combat forest and wildlife crimes. It integrates realtime data analytics, AI and centralised intelligence to support enforcement agencies and frontline forest staff. The platform offers robust features such as centralised data management, realtime case- tracking, offender profiling and hotspot prediction to address long-standing challenges like fragmented records and delayed investigations, enabling swift and strategic action on the ground.
“Use of AI and technology is revolutionising conservation through fire detection, crime control and elephant monitoring near railway tracks. Wildlife conservation is a collective responsibility, with ongoing government efforts against poaching, deforestation and climate change, alongside initiatives for human-wildlife coexistence,” the Governor said.
Forest minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia said it was the need of the hour to introduce more technological solutions such as HAWK for wildlife protection in the state.
PCCF (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha said, “Operational in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the HAWK is a significant leap for the state in modernising wildlife protection efforts. It strengthens inter-agency coordination and reinforces Odisha’s commitment to building a tech-enabled, intelligence-led approach to conservation enforcement.”
WTI CEO Jose Louies said the software tracks every stage, from detection to prosecution, making the entire process more efficient.
Renowned Indian orchidologist and botanist Sarat Chandra Misra was presented the prestigious State Level Chief Minister Award for Wildlife Conservation, 2025 during the event. Three reports and books, Wildlife Odisha 2025, Wildlife Crime Investigation Manual and a coffee table book on Debrigarh: The Wild Heritage of Odisha, were also unveiled on the occasion.
ACS, Forest Satyabrata Sahu, PCCF and HoFF Suresh Pant and other dignitaries were present.
