Forest dept gets app to monitor wild animals

Panaji: With increased spotting of gaurs and leopards in human habitations, the state forest department will be implementing digital solutions to record sightings of wild animals, and to survey the density of “prey population” in Goa. Range forest officials from the state’s six wildlife sanctuaries will be using the mobile app, “Monitoring system for tiger-intensive protection and ecological status” or M-STrIPES for this.
“The proposal is with the government to procure android-based mobile handsets, and to implement this application in Goa. Once procured, the phones with the app will be given to forest guards who patrol the areas,” a forest official told TOI.
Animal markings, footprints and signs can be recorded through this app. An SOS feature allows officers in trouble, especially in case of forest fires to alert their office immediately.
Until now, such vital information was being manually recorded by the individual range forest offices, and files then sent to the head office of the forest department in Panaji.
“By going the digital way, pictures immediately uploaded will be saved in the central system of our database at the headquarters in Panaji. We will set up a control room for this at the head office. The app will especially be helpful in detecting cases like frog poaching,” the official said.
The app can also be used to monitor the movement of range forest guards.
Currently, forest wildlife officials along with wildlife institute of India (WII) are figuring out solutions to use the app in the absence of cellular network since some spots of the sanctuaries do not have mobile coverage.
“For now, the data can be fed in the app in the poor network area but will be uploaded only once the user comes into an area with strong network,” the official said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/forest-dept-gets-app-to-monitor-wild-animals/articleshow/59415330.cms