Zeitschrift für Biodiversitätsmanagement und Forstwirtschaft

Averting Wildlife - Train Interaction Using Thermal Image Processing and Acoustic Techniques

Chandra Kumar J and Selvakumar A

The most heartening news for nature lovers and wildlife conservationists is the accidental loss of wild life by the passing vehicles. Heavy vehicles and trains carrying goods pass through the heart of the forest rich in flora and fauna. Normally, wild animals shy away on hearing the noise of a roaring engine, but, at times mainly because of the shock or misjudging the speed they are hit by the vehicles. Of late, it has been reported that, trains are the major cause for accidental deaths among the jungle community. Animals, being the integral part of our biodiversity, need to be preserved with our immediate response and immense responsibility. The basic idea of this paper is to suggest some remedial measures by adopting advanced technology with a novel approach. This paper proposes a tangible solution for the above said problem by combining thermal image processing techniques with acoustic warning system. As soon as the image of an animal is captured by the thermal imaging camera, a signal is sent to the microcontroller. Which in turn generates an appropriate frequency of sound for which that particular animal is highly sensitive?