AI Camera Helps Nab Two Poachers in Similipal National Park

Highlights:

Forest officials act swiftly on AI surveillance alert

Two men arrested with a handmade firearm and explosives

Incident reported from the buffer zone of Similipal in Mayurbhanj

Case registered; both accused sent to judicial custody


Body:
Baripada: In a major breakthrough for wildlife protection efforts, two suspected poachers were arrested in Similipal National Park after an AI-powered camera system flagged suspicious activity in the park’s buffer zone. Acting on the alert, a forest department team swiftly apprehended the individuals before any harm could be done to the wildlife.

The arrested men, identified as Gopal Soren alias Banamali and Mandal Sing, both hail from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. During the operation, forest personnel recovered a handmade gun and several explosive materials from their possession, indicating an intent to engage in illegal hunting.

Authorities have registered a case under relevant wildlife protection laws at the Dukura Wildlife Range. The accused have since been presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Baripada, where they were remanded to judicial custody.

Forest officials praised the efficiency of the AI surveillance system, which played a crucial role in preventing a potential poaching incident. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspects are part of a larger poaching network operating in the region.