Code Green

Conservation goes high tech with AI, thermal drones, high resolution cameras, satellite feeds and DNA mapping to bring down the threats to both wildlife and people living in proximity

- By SNEHA MAHALE

It was burning bright. For three months, a four-year-old tiger roamed across 12 villages in Lucknow's Rehmankheda area, killing 25 animals and keeping residents on edge in the forest of the night. Daily life slowed as people stayed indoors, wary of the elusive predator that was a ghost with stripes. To track it down, forest officials took a blended approach—mixing traditional tracking methods with modern technology. They installed AI-powered thermal cameras at five key points and deployed three thermal drones to scan the forest canopy. On the ground, trained elephants Diana and Sulochana moved through dense undergrowth where vehicles couldn't go. Meanwhile, a wildlife expert in Bengaluru monitored live camera feeds, studying the tiger's patterns to anticipate its movements.

In March, came the breakthrough. Al cameras captured the tiger returning to a fresh kill. A ranger team was dispatched. A tranquiliser dart was fired, but the tiger fled, covering 500 metres before disappearing into thick foliage. Drones followed it from above, helping rangers close in for a second shot. Within 15 minutes, the animal was safely sedated. The 230 kg beast was then caged and transported to the Bakshi Ka Talab range office. The entire operation ended without a single human injury, thanks to the combined effort of AI surveillance, aerial tracking, and coordinated fieldwork.

In the past, conserving wildlife in India often meant navigating dense jungles with binoculars, spending months waiting for elusive animals to appear, or diving into the sea with nothing more than a net. Today, conservationists are adding something new to their toolkit: algorithms, thermal cameras, drones, and even genetic samplers. From the cold, high-altitude deserts of Ladakh to the lush mangroves of the Sundarbans, across coral reefs, tiger corridors, and railway tracks, a quiet revolution is unfolding. Technology is changing not only how we protect wildlife, but how we understand it.