Curbing elephant deaths on tracks needs blend of infra, tech, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Seven elephants died in Assam's Hojai district after being hit by the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express.
• Train collisions are a major cause of elephant deaths in India, which holds over half of the world's Asian elephant population.
• From 2010-2020, train hits caused 186 elephant deaths in India, second to electrocution (741 deaths).
• Linear Transport Infrastructure (LTI) like railways restricts elephant access to food and water.
• The IUCN's 2023 handbook emphasizes infrastructure design that avoids elephant habitats.

Detailed Insights:

• Elephant deaths often occur at night when males cross tracks for crop raiding during harvest season.
• Wildlife crossing structures (underpasses/overpasses) can reduce wildlife mortality by up to 98% when used with fencing.
• Crossing structure design should prioritize openness to encourage elephant usage based on movement patterns.
• Camera trapping and GPS telemetry help study elephant movement for effective fencing and crossing placement.
• Early-warning systems using forward-looking infrared cameras can detect track obstructions up to 750m.
• Machine learning and AI enhance the effectiveness of sensor-based technologies for preventing collisions.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• GPS Telemetry: Tracking animal movement using GPS technology.
• Forward Looking Infrared Cameras: Detect objects by sensing their infrared radiation.
• Machine Learning: AI that improves automatically through experience.