COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore forest division is trying out a new device to prevent intrusion of wild elephants into human habitation. Recently, officials installed an audio device called Farm Guard near the CRPF camp at Kurudampalayam that will emit ten sounds, including human screams and cracker blast, after sensing the movement of the elephants.
According to sources, the system is linked to an AI based Infrared cameras and can differentiate human, birds and wild animals. The system will be activated once elephants come within 150metres of the device.
During day time, the cameras would detect elephants in 250 -300m range and 150 m at night. Other small animals like wild boar can be detected within 80-100m during night.
Currently, the device emits sounds such as train horn, vehicle horn, ambulance siren, country made bomb (Kannivedi) and human screams. Voices of tribal people have been recorded for this purpose, sources said.
Coimbatore forest range officer Thirumurugan said the device has been fixed near a farm land close to the border of Coimbatore and Periyanaciekenpalayam forest ranges, mainly to monitor elephants following complaints from locals.
After successful implementation in Vellore, where the device was used to scare away wild boars, MSME minister Anbarasan informed additional chief secretary environment climate change and forest Supriya Sahu who directed Coimbatore DFO N Jayaraj to try it out.
“We are planning to add roaring sounds of tiger and lion to scare away the elephants. The farmland owner gets a message immediately after the AI based IR camera detects the elephant. We will soon add numbers of forest department field level staff which will help them to reach the spot and divert the animals inside the forest,” said Thirumurugan
PG Ragavandir, CEO of BGENT that developed the system, said they have used a similar device at Kemmarampalayam and the results were encouraging.