Tamil Nadu wildlife conservation initiatives receive national awards
Two officers and a technology-based elephant warning system were recognised for their contributions to wildlife protection.
Tamil Nadu wildlife conservation initiatives, including a mass firearm surrender campaign and an AI-based elephant warning system, have received national recognition, according to The Hindu.
K. Karthikeyani, the former Wildlife Warden of Hosur, received a special jury award from Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. This award, an initiative of the Indian Forest Service Association (IFSA) and Indian Masterminds, recognises the ‘Ozhippom Thuppakkiyai, Kaapom Yanaigalai’ campaign.
The campaign, launched at the Hosur Forest Division in September 2022, aimed to prevent elephant deaths caused by illegal gunshot injuries. A total of 239 illegal country-made guns were voluntarily surrendered following awareness programmes and the warning of enforcement drives using sniffer dogs.
S. Senbagapriya, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, received the eco-warrior award for community-based conservation and scientific monitoring in the Mudumalai landscape. During her tenure as deputy director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, she oversaw village relocation programmes and reported no tiger deaths or poaching.
N. Jayaraj was also recognised for implementing an AI-based surveillance and early-warning system in the Madukkarai forest range of the Coimbatore Forest Division. The system, introduced in February 2024, has facilitated approximately 2,800 safe elephant crossings on railway tracks.
The technology has generated over 6,000 alerts regarding elephants near tracks. These alerts are sent to station masters and loco pilots to help control train speeds and prevent accidents.