{
  "id": 18317895,
  "title": "Tamil Nadu’s wildlife conservation initiatives against country-made guns, on AI-based elephant warning system win awards",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/tamil-nadus-wildlife-conservation-initiatives-against-country-made",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-11-05T14:11:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tn-wildlife-conservation-initiatives-on-country-made-gun-surrender-ai-based-elephant-warning-system-bag-awards/article71659572.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Tamil Nadu, a voluntary surrender of illegal country-made firearms for wildlife conservation purposes has garnered national recognition. After two elephants died from gunshot injuries in 2022, a campaign called 'Ozhippom Thuppakkiyai, Kaapom Yanaigalai' (Eradicate Illegal Country-made Guns, Save Elephants) was launched in September 2022. This intensive conservation effort continued in August 2024. The initiative, led by the Hosur Forest Division, followed a participatory approach that included social media awareness, newspaper publicity, pamphlet distribution, public announcements, motorcycle rallies, door-to-door programs, and meetings with local leaders. In total, 239 illegal firearms were voluntarily surrendered, significantly reducing wildlife poaching using country-made guns and improving public cooperation with the Forest Department. The campaign's success was acknowledged by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, who awarded Wildlife Warden K. Karthikeyani the special jury award. Another IFS officer, S. Senbagapriya, received the eco-warrior award for her work in community-based conservation and scientific monitoring in the Mudumalai landscape, where she overseen the relocation of 490 families without any reported tiger deaths or poaching during her tenure. Additionally, N. Jayaraj, who introduced an AI-based surveillance and early-warning system to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks near Coimbatore, was recognized for his technological contribution. The system generated over 6,000 alerts and helped 2,800 safe elephant crossings since its implementation in February 2024.",
  "summary": "Following two consecutive elephant deaths by illegal gunshot injuries in 2022, a conservation campaign titled: ‘Ozhippom Thuppakkiyai, Kaapom Yanaigalai’ (Eradicate Illegal Country-made Guns, Save Elephants) was launched at Hosur Forest Division.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}