Tamil Nadu’s wildlife conservation initiatives against country-made guns, on AI-based elephant warning system win awards

The then Krishnagiri Collector K.M. Sarayu (right), along with the then District Wildlife Warden K. Karthikeyani, inspects the illegal country-made rifles surrendered by the public to the forest department in Hosur on August 14, 2024 | Photo Credit: N. Bashkaran One of the initiatives of the largest voluntary surrender of illegal country-made firearms undertaken for wildlife conservation in Tamil Nadu has been recognised nationally.Following two consecutive elephant deaths caused by illegal gunshot injuries in Anchetty and Jawalagiri Ranges during 2022, an innovative mass conservation campaign titled: ‘Ozhippom Thuppakkiyai, Kaapom Yanaigalai’ (Eradicate Illegal Country-made Guns, Save Elephants) was launched at Hosur Forest Division during September 2022, followed by a second intensive phase in August 2024.The campaign adopted a people-centric and participatory approach rather than relying solely on enforcement, says K. Karthikeyani, who was the then Wildlife Warden, Hosur. Major activities included social media awareness campaigns, newspaper publicity, distribution of pamphlets, public announcements, motorcycle awareness rallies, door-to-door awareness programmes and meetings with panchayat presidents and village elders, she recalls.Warning of sniffer dog use and surrenderThe Forest Department also announced that, following the awareness campaign, intensive enforcement drives using sniffer dogs would be undertaken in remote forest villages to detect concealed firearms. The public was informed that any illegal firearm recovered during raids would attract stringent action under the Arms Act and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. A total of 239 illegal country-made guns were voluntarily surrendered, she says.The division was historically affected by illegal hunting during the period when the forests were under the influence of the notorious poacher and smuggler Veerappan. Although organised ivory poaching substantially declined, illegal country-made firearms continued to remain in many forest fringe villages and were frequently used for hunting wild animals.Following the campaign, wildlife poaching using country-made guns reduced and illegal firearms were gradually removed from forest fringe villages. Public confidence and cooperation with the Forest Department improved significantly.Raining awardsNow posted as the Thanjavur District Forest Officer, Ms. Karthikeyani received the special jury award, an initiative of Indian Forest Service Association (IFSA) and Indian Masterminds, from Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav recently.Another IFS officer from Tamil Nadu, S. Senbagapriya, was recognised for community-based conservation and scientific monitoring initiatives in the Mudumalai landscape. She received the eco-warrior award under the category - Wildlife Protection and Conservation.As the deputy director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve between April 2018 and February 2021, she oversaw the Village Relocation programmes, during the first phase of which 235 families were relocated. The second phase comprised of 255 families of which 216 were relocated. The third phase relocation proposal comprising of 168 families was sent and ₹1,680 lakh was received from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).No tiger deaths were reported during the period, and no poaching or hunting was also reported during that period. Weapon training was conducted for 85 field staff in co-ordination with The Nilgiris district police. For staff welfare, protection, overall management of the reserve won the WWF PATA Bagh Mitra award for the year 2018 under individual category, says the IFS officer, who is now the project director of Nilgiri Tahr.AI-based early-warning system for elephant crossingFor the best use of technology, N. Jayaraj was recognised for introducing an AI-based surveillance and early-warning system. As District Forest Officer, Mr. Jayaraj headed the team that implemented the AI-based system for preventing elephant deaths on railway tracks in the Madukkarai forest range in the Coimbatore Forest Division which helped around 2,800 safe crossings of wild elephants since its introduction in February 2024.According to data, the system generated over 6,000 alerts of wild elephants near railway tracks or crossing them. A dedicated team of 20 staff for track patrols swiftly responded every time there was an alert.The alerts were also sent to the station masters of the nearest railway stations and loco pilots of trains passing through the reserve forest were informed of the presence of elephants near the tracks, enabling them to control the speed of the trains. Published - November 05, 2026 07:37 pm IST