Bhubaneswar: Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary has strengthened wildlife protection and monitoring with an expanded AI-integrated surveillance network, combining an e-Eye tower with 18 smart camera traps to track wildlife movements, human activity and potential threats in real time. The initiative began in December 2025 with five camera traps linked to the AI surveillance tower.
Following the stabilisation of the sanctuary’s wireless mesh network, the system was expanded from October 2026, with 18 camera traps installed in remote forest interiors. The cameras transmit images and videos directly to the central control room, allowing forest personnel to monitor wildlife and potential threats without frequent field visits. The AI-enabled surveillance tower at Chourasimal, operational since December 2025, covers around 70 sq km within a 5–6 km radius. Equipped with optical and thermal imaging cameras, it enables round-the-clock monitoring of wildlife, human movement and potential intrusions, even at night and in low-visibility conditions. The 18 smart camera traps use wireless mesh networking and AI to capture and process images and videos, identifying species such as Gaur, Leopard, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear and Nilgai.
The system also filters irrelevant images, making wildlife monitoring and record-keeping more efficient. Data from the surveillance tower and camera traps are relayed to the central control room at Zero Point, enabling forest personnel to monitor wildlife activity in real time, track movement patterns and coordinate timely responses to potential threats. The expanded network supports wildlife tracking, identification of animal trails, detection of suspicious human activity and potential poaching, early detection of forest fires and night-time surveillance through thermal imaging. It also improves patrolling efficiency while minimising disturbance to sensitive wildlife habitats.
The AI-enabled surveillance network builds on Debrigarh’s sustained ground-level protection efforts, with forest personnel undertaking nearly 90,000 km of foot patrolling annually for three consecutive years to safeguard wildlife and habitats. By combining extensive patrolling with real-time digital surveillance, automated species identification and centralised monitoring, the sanctuary is strengthening its technology-driven conservation efforts. The integrated approach is expected to improve threat detection, support scientific habitat management and enhance the effectiveness of frontline forest staff.
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