In a first-of-its-kind initiative in West Bengal, the Forest Department has begun using thermal drone cameras to monitor elephants at night in the state’s southern region. The project, launched by Midnapore DFO Deepak M, aims to track elephants moving out of forests or lingering near human settlements and avert casualties and crop damage.
Until now, infrared trap cameras were primarily used for tiger censuses. The new drones, equipped with infrared-based thermal imaging, can detect an elephant’s body heat from above, allowing forest officials to locate the herds even in dense darkness. Officials say the technology is being deployed to prevent elephant intrusions into villages and mitigate the recurring human-elephant conflict in the area.
“We have begun a week-long surveillance exercise,” said DFO Deepak, adding, “There is a constant conflict between elephants and humans in the south Bengal’s forested region. When elephants travel from one forest patch to another, they often pass through localities. That is when they enter villages, damage crops, and sometimes attack people. We have used drone cameras before, but now we are carrying out night-time surveillance with thermal drones.”
Explaining the need for the shift to night monitoring, he said, “Elephants move very little during the day. At night, their movement increases significantly. If a village falls along their route, crops are destroyed. With thermal drones, we can easily detect where the elephants are in the forest at night and guide them back before they approach human habitation.”
The Forest Department is also implementing measures to encourage elephants to remain inside forested areas. “We are enlarging existing water bodies, planting bamboo groves, and preparing special grasses to ensure food and water availability within the forest,” the DFO said.
According to departmental data, three people have died and four others have been injured in elephant attacks this year in areas under the Midnapore Forest Division. Crop losses have been severe as well: hundreds of hectares of paddy fields, vegetable plots, and several mud houses in West Midnapore district have been destroyed by elephant movement over the past year.
Officials believe that the use of thermal drone cameras-capable of detecting elephants’ heat signatures and pinpointing their movements—will significantly strengthen preventive measures and help reduce both human casualties and agricultural damage.
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