Bhubaneswar: Forest officials in Similipal Tiger Reserve arrested four suspected poachers after artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and infrared trap cameras helped flag their movement inside the core area.According to officials, AI cameras installed across Similipal south division are being used to track real-time entry of suspected poachers. “On Thursday at around 9.40 pm, two image alerts were received from an AI camera deployed under the Dukura wildlife range. The images showed three men carrying a gun and moving along a path inside the core area of the sanctuary and tiger reserve. Acting on the alerts, the range officer of Dukura instructed field personnel to patrol the identified route immediately and intercept the suspects,” said Samrat Gowda, deputy director (Similipal south division).
A forest squad subsequently apprehended four accused — Sunil Bhakta (25), Sahadev Malik (20), Ramchandra Hansda alias Ram (25) and Dhirendra Malik alias Bendal (24). The poachers hail from the Chandanchaturi area under Badasahi police station in Mayurbhanj district, officials said.During the operation, two handmade guns were seized from the possession of Sahadev and Sunil by the forest guard of Chandanchaturi-II beat, officials said. The seized weapons included one gun with a barrel length of 92.5 cm and a total length of 137 cm, and another with a barrel length of 106 cm and a total length of 148.5 cm.The arrested poachers were booked for alleged violations under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. They were produced in a court, which remanded them to judicial custody.
