Tech comes to rescue of Asian elephants

Company and ecologists develop tracker with AI, big data to better track animals

Inspur is looking to leverage cutting-edge technologies to protect endangered species and support ecological preservation.

The company and Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve have co-developed a system for the conservation of Asian elephants.

Powered by artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing, the system allows round-the-clock monitoring of the animals and helps mitigate human-elephant conflict.

The Asian elephant, the largest mammal in Asia, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and can only be found in South Asia, South-East Asia, and the southern border of Yunnan.

Decades of preservation efforts have grown their populations, but the rare species now faces shrinking habitats.

Many roam beyond protected areas into human communities, consuming food and raiding crops as well as farm facilities.

Human-elephant conflict has also posed a new challenge to their protection.

Meanwhile, elephants that often stray into human settlements have altered their behavioural patterns.

More data is needed for scientists to learn about their new habits and behaviours to inform long-term protection strategies.

According to Inspur, the system enables smart identification in milliseconds with an accuracy of over 96%.

The system can provide insights into the habits and migratory routes of elephants, which helps dictate further protective measures with regards to their habitats, food sources and behavioural patterns.

“We strive to inspire a better world through intelligent computing. Human, animals, and nature share the same breath.

“Technology will unveil a new age of harmonious coexistence,” said Peter Peng, CEO of Inspur Information. — China Daily/ANN