With incidents of tigers straying into human settlements on the rise in the Sundarbans, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the South 24 Parganas Forest Department have launched a pilot technology-driven initiative aimed at reducing human-tiger conflict in the region.
The new system, called the Animal Intrusion Detection and Repellent System (ANIDERS), along with trap cameras, is being installed in the Herovanga-09 forest compartment under the Raidighi Range. The primary objective is to provide early warning before a tiger enters a village, enabling forest officials to respond swiftly and prevent potential attacks.
The move comes in the wake of several recent incidents in which Royal Bengal Tigers entered villages in search of food. In some cases, villagers reported fatal encounters, while in others, residents collectively resisted the animals using sticks and other means to drive them back into the forest.
According to forest department sources, ANIDERS uses advanced motion-sensing technology to detect animal movement. Each unit can monitor an area of approximately 25 to 30 metres from its centre at a 180-degree angle. The devices are solar-powered, making them suitable for remote forest areas without electricity. For now, the system is being implemented on a limited scale to assess its accuracy, ability to correctly identify tigers, and overall effectiveness in preventing intrusions.
WTI field officer Samrat Pal, associated with the Sundarbans Tiger Project, said four ANIDERS units have already been installed. He added that the system would help identify vulnerable entry points frequently used by tigers, allowing authorities to develop better strategies to minimise conflict.
Abhishek Ghoshal, head of the Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Division at WTI, said similar technology has been deployed in Pilibhit and Katarniaghat in Uttar Pradesh. He expressed optimism that its introduction in the Sundarbans would pave the way for more effective conflict mitigation in the future.
Several villages in the Kultali block of South 24 Parganas share boundaries with tiger habitats, making them particularly vulnerable to intrusions. Experts note that tigers often stray into human settlements either in search of prey or while shifting territories, triggering panic among residents.
Nisha Goswami, Chief Forest Officer of South 24 Parganas, described the initiative as timely. She said that technology-based interventions could significantly strengthen conservation efforts while ensuring the safety of local communities.
Wildlife experts believe that if proven successful, the system could become an integral part of long-term conservation policy in the Sundarbans. By reducing the risk of fatal encounters and enabling quicker response times, the pilot project may help promote sustainable coexistence between humans and tigers in one of India’s most sensitive ecological zones.
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