Bhubaneswar, Aug 6: In a major step towards strengthening wildlife conservation and curbing poaching, the Odisha Forest Department will install more than 500 artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled surveillance cameras in vulnerable areas of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) over the next three to four months.

STR Field Director and Regional Chief Conservator of Forests Prakash Chand Gogineni said the new cameras will increase real-time surveillance coverage by nearly 50 per cent, enabling forest officials to monitor wildlife movement, detect suspicious activities, and respond swiftly to threats inside the reserve.

He said the existing AI-based surveillance network has already proved highly effective by helping authorities identify and apprehend several individuals attempting to enter protected forest areas illegally. The technology has emerged as a vital tool in preventing poaching and illegal timber smuggling.

The upcoming cameras will be integrated with communication towers and equipped with advanced features, including smoke detection to provide early alerts on forest fires. Images and GPS-tagged data will be transmitted to forest personnel within minutes, allowing rapid deployment of patrol teams.

Similipal currently operates around 900 AI-powered cameras, trail guard systems, and pan-tilt-zoom robotic cameras across its North and South divisions, besides the Baripada, Rairangpur, and Karanjia forest divisions. Encouraged by the success of the surveillance system, the department has procured the additional cameras at an estimated cost of Rs 2.25 crore, with installation now underway across nearly 1,300 forest beats in five forest divisions.

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