Thermal drone image of a wild elephant near Seluku village, Wokha on October 5. (Photo Courtesy: Wokha Forest Division)
Wokha, October 7 (MExN): The Wokha Forest Division has recorded the first thermal drone imagery of wild elephants in Nagaland, locating a herd of an estimated 8-10 animals in forest adjoining Seluku village on the night of October 5.
Acting on information about elephants near the agricultural fields of Seluku, a division team deployed the thermal drone over the forest canopy, where the animals’ body heat showed up clearly despite the dense vegetation and darkness, Suman W M Sivachar IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Wokha Forest Division said in an update.
The herd size is an estimate based on the thermal scan and field observation, the official said.
The team, led by Range Forest Officer Lansothung Lotha, included Forest Guard Bibenthung Ngullie and community members Mhaden E Odyuo and W Nchumbemo Kikon. The members first inspected the forest and field edges on foot before flying the drone.
Following confirmation, the team informed Seluku village-level authorities and the Village Council of Koio about the elephants’ presence so that villagers could exercise caution, particularly while accessing agricultural fields.
The DFO said thermal monitoring gives the Forest Department an additional means of locating elephants under forest cover and tracking their movement, so that communities can be warned in time and areas of likely conflict identified in advance.
The drone was flown at a safe height to avoid disturbing the animals, they said, adding that thermal drones are a supplementary tool for locating elephants at night and in poor visibility, to support early warning and rapid response.
The department is training frontline staff in drone operation so that the capability can be extended to other conflict-prone areas of the landscape, he said.
The activity was undertaken under the Forest & Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya (Nagaland) Project, supported by KfW, with the objective of strengthening practical approaches for monitoring elephant movement, providing timely alerts, and reducing Human-Elephant Conflict in vulnerable areas.
In a public advisory, the department asked residents not to approach, chase or provoke elephants and to avoid moving alone in fields at dusk and night when elephants are reported nearby. Sightings should be reported immediately to the Wildlife Control Room toll-free helpline 1800-2020-878 or the nearest forest office, the release said.
